Contamination
by Yami hitokiri
Summary: AU Purity is cherished among Higher Beings. Those who are tainted are scorned. Bakura, Yugi, and Kaiba are angels. Ryou, Atemu, and Jounouchi are demons. The human world is notorious for seducing those who stay too long. YAOI RB YY SJ M? CHARACTER DEATH !COMPLETE!
1. Activation

EEEEE! I don't know what I'm doing! Why am I updating? I was going to wait until I had, you know, finished the story. (shrug) I suppose I'm just supremely sick of waiting. WOOT!

Despite my overwhelming, all consuming fears, I'm actually like totally ecstatic. YAY! (pom-poms and confetti)

To start off with some warnings: THIS IS **YAOI**!! (shounenai, Gayness abounds, guyxguy)If you don't like homosexuality frequenting through your stories then what THE HELL are you doing reading _FANFICTION_? Seriously. Just watch the show. It's as dull. (I immediately apologize to any non-yoai fanfic writers out there, I'm sure you some of you are quite talented and beautiful)

There will be no Lemons. Sorry. But there will be… stuff. What's that called? Limes?

Tell me if you think this sounds interesting:

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Chyaputa 1: 

Activation

1. To set in motion; make active or more active. 

2. To organize or create (a military unit, for example)

3. To treat with aeration and bacteria to aid decomposition.

4. _Chemistry:_ To accelerate a reaction in, as by heat.

5. _Physics:_ To make (a substance) radioactive.

* * *

Standing out at the very end of the black stone hall was an intricately carved golden door. It sat gleaming upon a set of glassy black ebony steps like some kind of bizarre shrine, surrounded by cruelly shaped grotesque statues.

The creature's black eyes stared down at the expanse of onyx floor. It did not want to enter that door. The demon would have given every inch of its cold, fear-ridden blood not to approach that awful thing. There was that familiar, ancient power that hooked into the creature's flesh and tugged the demon's body forward, its claws dragging across the flawless floor.

Black leathery wings hung on the creature's shoulders, like a cape that adorned its crimson and black uniform, the tails dragging on the smooth obsidian floor. The bright golden medallion on its chest identified this demon as one of the Four Great Princes of Hell.

Too soon the creature had accomplished it's the journey across the black marble. The golden door opened to welcome the demon as it climbed up the ebony steps. The demon's senses were in chaos, screaming at him from every corner of his brain, leave, run, _fly_. But it was too late; there was no choice but to obey.

This was _His_ territory.

The creature stepped into the room as the golden door snapped shut behind him.

"Ryou-kun… how lovely it is to see you again. It has been such an awfully long time," a low unearthly voice greeted him sweetly.

Ryou dropped to the floor, black eyes remained firmly on the rich carpet floor as the servant bowed deeply.

"You summoned me, Master," Ryou spoke softly.

"There is no need for you to be ashamed. Lift your eyes," the Master ordered.

The creature hesitated for a fraction of a second, not wanting to look into the face that he feared. But no one disobeyed the Master. So Ryou lifted his head a fraction.

Ryou knew that he knelt before an impossible dark figure. His too keen eyes caught a flash of gold above his field of vision and imagined the Master's dark limbs, ornamented in an assortment of golden bracelets, anklets, arms bands and rings as always.

And there was that familiar supreme force, weighting down upon Ryou's self; his skin singed just by being in the Master's presence. Ryou fought to keep his pale, black-and-white-patched face expressionless. Blanketing his thoughts. Those few who had actually spoken to the Master in His presence knew that He could read minds.

"You stay so far away. Why don't you stand up and come closer?" It was an order; everything was an order. Keeping his gaze always stuck to the floor, Ryou raised himself to his feet and took a few steps forward.

"First, I'd like to congratulate you on your success on the battle fields. Driving back the angel's forces into a full retreat, was it? I expected nothing less from my Great Prince."

"It was all for Your Honor, Master," Ryou answered with another bow.

A harsh scrapping sound. Ryou saw through his mind's eye the Master licking His lips and grinning sadistically, revealing three pairs of white fangs. Ryou repressed the impulse to shudder.

"I know you have just gotten back from your previous mission. It pains Me to tell you that you will have to go away again."

Ryou's wings twitched, trying his best to repress his delight. To be sent away on a mission meant he could not visit the Master for, hopefully, a very long time.

"Where am I being sent?" Ryou asked cautiously.

A sudden throbbing pain had erupted inside his head as the atmosphere changed. The Master's mood had turned.

"You seem eager to leave," He stated, the note under His words suggested a threat. "Do you grow tiresome of my company?"

Ryou's throat tightened. "Never, my Master," he lied hastily and bowed so deeply that his knees almost touched the floor again. "I am only eager to earn glory for Your Country."

The Master chuckled, sending disagreeable ripples through Ryou's body.

"That's why I like you; you lie so fearlessly through your teeth."

Ryou was too terrified to respond, barely able to keep his expressionless face under control.

"This particular mission that I am entrusting you with is a matter of top importance. I will not accept failure under any circumstances."

White flashed across Ryou's mind; the Master was serious. Ryou swallowed.

"I have gotten word of a plot. It seems as though the angels have regrettably gotten their greedy hands on rather large stash of raw, untainted power. I have already located its position in the Human World. You will go down to that mundane plane and find this source of power and return it to Me so that I can use it against My enemies. When you are successful," The sound of rustling, the Master was moving, "It will be a great victory for Me."

Ryou's eyes followed the impression of His dark feet as They paced the room with nothing less than complete control over the space.

"This power source is in the country of Japan, within a ten mile radius of the center of a human town called Domino. You will select only two other demons under your command. The mission will be in complete secrecy. You will have disguises to infiltrate the humans. Doubtlessly there will be angels stationed there, guarding the power source but I am certain you will be more than enough to handle them. You will leave first thing tomorrow."

"Yes, Master," Ryou said and bowed deeply. "I shall not fail you." The servant's flesh was prickling fearfully. He had to get out of that room; the very acidic stench on the air was making him sick. Ryou turned to leave rather hastily.

Then he heard a disapproving clicking sound from behind him as though a hammer were knocking on his skull.

"Now, now, when did I say you could go?" the Master questioned, His voice dangerously low. "And turning your back to me? How disrespectful."

Ryou's blood froze. Already certain of his inevitable doom, the creature spun around and dropped his limbs into a bow, deeper than ever before.

"I beg your unworthy forgiveness, Master," Ryou groveled, face against the black marble floor. "I was only-"

"Spare me," the Master spat. Ryou flinched as though he had been struck. "I have heard quite enough of your lies today. They no longer amuses me."

Ryou did not look up. His skin was crawling, senses writhing with terror.

"Quite the wrong move. I wouldn't expect you to make such mistakes. I thought you had learned by now."

"I am unforgivable, Master-" Ryou began.

"Silence!" the Master hissed angrily. His voice suddenly went harsh, that one word scratching at Ryou's ears. He saw the Master's bare feet rotate to face him. Ryou could feel His deadly stare grazing the back of his head.

"Now… what shall you do to make it up to me?" the Monster mused mildly. "I believe I can think of a few ways…"

Ryou was quite sure he knew what was on the Master's mind.

"Stand up." Ryou did so hastily. The servant could feel the Master examine him meticulously, tracing his patched, marred skin. "I see your transformation is going well, perhaps not as cleanly as one might have expected." A series of conflagrations erupted where the Master traced one of the black patches on Ryou's skin with one of His dark clawed fingers.

"Let me see your eyes."

It was an order. Ryou obeyed. He tilted his head up and had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop the flood of terror from seeping into his mind.

The Master's eyes, if one could call those grotesque organs that, were as white as death. It was holy unnatural. Ryou's insides were shrieking in terror because they could remember what had happened the last time he had looked into those eyes, and the time before that, and before that…

"Nonetheless Our training has been effective. Your powers have indeed grown stronger."

Ryou did not move. His limbs went rigid and stiff. He knew what was coming; it was so awful he wanted to die.

"Don't be so hasty," the Master chuckled darkly.

The servant didn't even have time to sense the movement before his Master was behind him, His foul, icy breath washing over the back of Ryou's neck.

"You will probably be gone for such an awfully long while. I will miss our time together…" He whispered, words sugary sweet. The Master's light-less eyes rolled sickly; His dark face grew veined and twisted for a split second with excitement.

Suddenly there was an arm around the servant's middle and another across his chest. Two bodies pressed painfully together, crushing Ryou's delicate black wings. The Master's skin was so cold it burnt. Ryou grew rigid, repulsed by the too-familiar, unwanted contact. His wings flapped uselessly against their restraints.

'Not again, please no… not again…' The thought fought its way out of Ryou's mental barriers, a small weak helpless voice.

"Let's make this one worth our time apart," The Master hissed, forked red tongue darted out of His open mouth and licked the grime off a spot on Ryou's defenseless soft neck.

Immeasurable pain exploded at the side of the servant's neck as all sets of the Master's knife-like fangs and carnivorous teeth tore into Ryou's flesh.

Then the Master began to feed.

The Monster sucked his servant's veins of their precious blood.

The effects were immediate. Ryou went light headed. Electric shots of pain traveled down his neck into his chest and up into his brain. His struggling wings bruised. His mouth was hanging open, fighting air down into his shriveled compressed lungs. The Master's claws broke skin in their eagerness, Ryou's dark blood bubbling up between His lips.

But the Master did not stop. He continued, determined to suck until Ryou went dry. All strength drained away, Ryou's wings went limp, arms numb.

Ryou's skin went completely white, then thinned, wrinkled like paper.

He had never gone on this long before. Ryou's body started shivering convulsively as though it was having a seizer, eyes rolled into the back of his head.

_No more… please, no more blood… I need…_

There it was again. A deep ache throbbed in Ryou's chest through the pain. Only in the last few visits had Ryou felt that unidentifiable feeling rise up inside of him but it had never been as strong as it was right now. The ache grew as the very marrow in his bones went dry.

Finally the master extracted his fangs from his servant's wilting flesh.

Ryou was barely hanging onto life; his mouth was open, bone white fangs snapping at the air convulsively.

_I need blood… give me blood…_

"Shhh, calm down. It's alright," the Master purred. Scrape, scrape, He licked the blood from around His mouth and dragged His servant's limp, dissolving form over to the bed. "I'll give you what you want," the Master cooed, stroking Ryou's thin hair which had turned pure white.

Ryou's eyes had rolled so far back into his head that he had gone blind. The creature's body was as weak and as delicate as ash, as if, at any second, it would collapse into dust. Ryou was going to shrivel up and die.

The Master laid His dying servant down in front of Him on the red and black satin bed sheets. He then took one clawed finger, reached back toward His own neck and cut open the outer skin, letting the dark blood escape and drip down His dark shoulder.

Ryou's body froze, mouth still wide open.

The servant's nostrils flared white.

"That's right, use your nose," the Master hissed playfully. "Find my blood."

The throbbing ache in Ryou exploded. Fangs grew almost three times their normal size as his primitive demon instincts took over. The creature's body jumped and dove for the Master's neck, for that bloody cut. His jaws opened so wide he almost fit the Master's entire neck in his mouth.

All teeth and fangs bit into the Master's dark flesh. Immediately the flow of blood started, the hot sweet metallic wave poured into Ryou's mouth and then down through his parched throat, the liquid so acidic with evil minerals that it scorched Ryou's insides.

The Master moaned and clutched Ryou's body closer to him, whispering words of encouragement in his ear.

And Ryou fed.

...)(-)-(Activation)-(-)(...

Atemu looked up at the glowing orange sky.

Judging by the change in light and the position of their three fiery suns, Ryou had been in there far too long. Ruby eyes narrowed sharply, glaring up at the gold and black glassy palace. Ryou had never taken so long before; what was the Master doing to him?

A palace guard passed close by, four bone gray tusks protuberated out of a slobbering mouth. The guard snorted and pounded its hoofed feet on the barren cracked ground in irritation.

Atemu gave it a cold glare and refused to move.

Suddenly there was a loud creek and a dull slamming sound. Atemu swerved to the palace doors to see a black figure emerge from building. It stumbled drunkenly down the steps and then collapsed upon the ground. Atemu wanted to run forward but the guard held him back. Atemu snarled.

Another one of the guards picked up the fallen figure and carried it over to the gate. Atemu snatched the figure hastily from their slimy hands.

"Ryou," Atemu hissed, shaking him slightly. "Ryou, wake up!" The intoxicated demon's skin was pure black and burning to the touch. His teeth were dyed crimson; blood was dripping out of his mouth and from a large wound at the side of his neck.

"He took so much… it hurt…" Ryou sang sluggishly, voice barely audible, lips and tongue slippery with that crimson liquid.

A sick feeling of pity consumed Atemu's insides. He recognized the symptoms almost at once; Ryou had been forced through the Blood Ceremony again.

"Come on." Atemu clutched his friend closer to him and began to walk along the black road, down into the city. "I'm taking you to the baths."

...)(-)-(Activation)-(-)(...

"And what business does a High Hashmallim like you want with a lowlife like him?" the warden angel asked, glancing at the visitor suspiciously through his blue-green bangs. The name, "Noa" gleamed in sliver letters on his blue badge. His body was young, one of a preteen, but his ancient eyes revealed he was much older, experienced and devoted to his job.

The visitor was younger than Noa looked; he might not have even been 200 years old. The prison warden would have been skeptical of the youngling's rank if the visitor hadn't been supporting an enormous pair of pure white wings, twice the size of his own body.

The visitor, with spiky red and black hair and lightening blonde bangs, placed a scroll down upon the table. The silver and gold seal stamped on the seal of the scroll was known by all members of the State of Heaven.

"Orders from the Council of Seraphim and Cherubim," the visitor said simply.

The warden whistled, impressed. "That's _high_ up," Noa commented, picking up the scroll and breaking the seal. His blue eyes darted back and forth as he read the order. "That demon-fraternizer ruffle too many feathers?" he asked with a mischievous chuckle.

The visitor's childish face frowned, pouted. "That _prisoner_ of yours just so happens to be a Guardian of the Holy Army _and_ a veteran from the Ancient Wars. He deserves respect," the High Hashmallim told the prison warden sternly.

The warden gave the visitor a doubtful stare. "War vet? That _Guardian_ doesn't have enough magic to levitate a feather and throw it at me," the warden said, smirking. "And if he's such a great patriot of the State of Heaven then how come he was dealing with the Dirty Market trading illegal substances? You sure you have the right guy?" the warden questioned suspiciously.

"We're sure," said the High Hashmallim shortly.

The warden rolled back up the scroll. "Well, at least he's your problem then, not mine. You guys moving him to another prison?" Noa asked, handing the order back to the visitor.

The High Hashmallim gave the prison supervisor a smile, tucking the scroll into his white soldier's uniform, trimmed with bright gold. "Um, something a little different actually," he answered vaguely. "Can I see him now?"

The prison warden sighed and hopped off his stool, his light teal-gray wings waned in comparison with the High Hashmallim's brilliant ones.

"Sure, but I'll warn you, he isn't the most cooperative of sorts," Noa advised coolly, picking up his silver keys and twirling them on his finger.

The High Hashmallim actually let out a small laugh, his voice chiming pleasantly like bells. "I know," the visitor answered with another smile, purple eyes twinkling.

The warden shrugged, walked over to the white stone door at the back of the room and inserted one of the tiny silver keys into the silver lock.

The stone door slid soundlessly out of the way to reveal a long white corridor, rows of cell doors along either wall. Prison guards in blue and white uniforms lifted their caps in respect as the High Hashmallim, following the prison warden, glided passed.

The warden finally stopped at a cell door labeled "612" and unlocked it. Noa held the door open for the visitor.

"He's all yours, I trust you won't need any help dealing with him," Noa drawled.

"No, thank you," the visitor dismissed politely and stepped inside. The prison warden shut the cell door behind him.

The prisoner was lying against the back wall, cold gray iron shackles on his arms, feet, and the joint where the wings met his back. Each feather on the prisoner's wings resembled a delicate pure gold leaf. There was a cloud of wild white hair around his head and his skin was the color of warm bronze. He wore a dark blood-red robe, an act of rebellion; all soldiers of Heaven's Holy Army were ordered to wear only white.

"Can't take a dammed nap without being bothered," the white-haired angel prisoner snapped irritably. His deep violet eyes were dark and clouded, his age and everything else about him unreadable, hidden in their depths.

The High Hashmallim grinned sheepishly. "It's nice to see you too, Bakura-kun," he greeted cheerfully.

The prisoner slouched on the floor scoffed. "What do you want, Yugi?" Bakura questioned harshly, not bothering to compose himself in front of this important official.

"Is that all you can say to an old friend?" Yugi asked, childishly crossing his arms and pouting in disappointment. "I come all this way to see you and you can't even manage a simple 'hello'."

The prisoner snorted, his white bangs fluttering with his action. "If you were here as a friend you wouldn't have bothered dressing in that ridiculous uniform." The prisoner shifted positions so he could see the High Guardian better, iron chains clinking. "Who sent you? A group who perhaps spend their days with their asses on a high glowing pedestal?"

Yugi sat down on the floor, white feathers spread out all around him. "Can't get anything past you, can I?"

The Guardian angel's face turned away. "I heard what happened. At the front."

Yugi's cheerful expression morphed into something painful. "I thought you would." He made a half-hearted grimace. "Pretty stupid of me, huh?"

"Sparing the rest of your troops from the slaughter was the only sane thing."

Yugi gulped, eyes squeezed shut as though concentrating on putting that memory behind a mental iron wall. Then he reached into his robes, pulled out the scroll, setting it on the floor a foot from where Bakura lay sprawled out on the white stone floor.

"It's orders from the Council of Seraphim and Cherubim," Yugi explained, seriously.

Bakura scowled deeply but didn't take the paper. "And? What do those bastards want?" he spat hatefully, dark violet eyes glaring at the scroll and flashing in annoyance. "I'm not a dammed lap dog."

"You can't refuse an order from the Council, Bakura-kun," Yugi reminded him.

Bakura ignored this fact. "And what did you get promoted to so recently? Power? Virtue?"

"High Hashmallim," Yugi corrected, embarrassedly.

"Then _excuse me_ for speaking without permission, your _most_ Excellent Brightness. Does the Council always send such grand delivery boys to pull lonely three thousand year old Guardians out of retirement?"

"_I_ wanted to bring you the news," Yugi said sincerely.

Bakura's golden feathered wings, nowhere near as large as Yugi's, ruffled irritably. They were scrunched, what looked like, painfully against the back wall.

"You and I have been summoned to the Council. They ordered me to bring you there as soon as possible."

"Why me?" Bakura questioned curtly.

Yugi shrugged. "I have no idea."

Bakura scowled and there was a long pause as the rebellious angel's violet eyes glaring hatefully at the parchment. "I'm not going."

Yugi frowned. He had thought this might be a problem. "Bakura-kun… I read your file. What did you get caught for? Selling angel tears on the Dirty Market? That's not even respectable in a prison."

Bakura scowled. "Just proves that it's a ridiculous law."

"You know why it's illegal to sell angel tears to the human world. And you got caught three times stealing from stores? So you're a petty thief now?"

"Your point?" Bakura mumbled darkly.

"How low have you sunk in these past years? You could have lived a better life in the Council's House if you had agreed to work for them," Yugi reminded him.

"I'll _damn_ myself before I step one foot into that _god-forsaken_ building," Bakura snarled.

"See, there you go again," said Yugi. "Letting your dammed pride get in the way!"

"Don't curse," Bakura interrupted sharply.

"I can curse if I want to," said Yugi, sticking his chin out defiantly.

"You'll lose your purity. Soon your wings will be as filthy and as powerless as mine," Bakura taunted, glowering mischievously at the High Hashmallim.

"Then at least you'll have some company," Yugi teased.

Bakura snorted.

Yugi continued in a softer tone, "We used to have good times together, didn't we? Back at the Academy, when you were a trainer and I was just a naïve youngling," said Yugi smiling.

"You still are," Bakura growled.

The High Hashmallim's face softened. "You worked for the Council then."

Bakura's expression darkened. "That was a long time ago."

"Not so long," Yugi insisted, looking down at his fair-skinned hands. "I know how you feel about the Council…"

"You don't know anything," Bakura spat, voice suddenly harsh again.

There was a long pause. Yugi looked hurt.

"Bakura-kun," said Yugi kindly, putting his creamy hand on his friend's angrily clenched fist. Bakura didn't look at him. "Who cares what the order is. You're being given a second chance, a time to prove yourself, an opportunity to escape from this endless cycle of stealing and scrapping. You could have a brand new life after this. Isn't that worth anything? Don't you care about yourself anymore?"

Silence filled the cell. Bakura's eyes were closed tightly, jaw rigid, as though he were holding himself back.

"The Council," Bakura hissed, eyes slowly opening, "Can _not_ be trusted."

"Bakura-kun," Yugi protested, purple eyes wide and pleading. "Don't do this." There was more silence. "You know I trust you above all else. If the Council does anything I swear I'll be by your side, you can trust me."

Bakura snorted. "You would be heading down the same path as I am."

"Then at least, this time, you won't be so lonely," said Yugi, this time seriously.

Bakura glanced at Yugi's face and saw the light shining in his eyes. He knew his friend only wanted what was best for him.

"Fine, I'll go," Bakura spat reluctantly. "But that doesn't mean I'll do what they say."

Yugi's face broke out into a broad grin. "Yay!" The Hashmallim jumped forward and hugged Bakura around the middle.

"_Yugi_! W-would you get _off_!" Bakura cried angrily and slightly flustered. "Freaking _control_ yourself, will you?"

Yugi let go, still grinning. "Well, come on! Let's go!" he cried, standing up and pulling Bakura to his feet.

"Now?" Bakura questioned tiredly.

"Yes now!" Yugi said, breaking off Bakura's iron chains as though they were nothing but paper. Bakura groaned.

"I'll never understand how you do that," Bakura growled as he allowed himself to be dragged out of the cell and down the white prison hall.

...)(-)-(Activation)-(-)(...

It was late by the time the Great Prince awakened from his slumber. Atemu had nearly dozed off waiting for his friend and was awakened out of his potential sleep by a low moan and the sluggish stir of the thick tar as Ryou shifted out of restfulness.

"How long have I been out?" Ryou asked, voice low and rough from a scratchy throat.

"Maybe three hours," Atemu estimated.

While unconscious, Ryou's skin and hair had gone from their dangerous pure black coloring back down to their normal white and patchy state. The Master's toxins had settled into his system again.

After hastily departing from the glassy palace, Atemu had carried Ryou's limp body through the demon city to the famous tar bathhouse. The tar had many healing and soothing abilities so it became the ideal place for Ryou to recover after his sessions with the Master. As usual, Atemu had acquired a private room with its extra large tub of bubbling black goo so that Ryou could recover in peace, after all, being a Great Prince, Ryou had a reputation to uphold.

The tar had already worked its magic on Atemu's aching muscles, unknotting them one by one. Even after carrying Ryou such a distance, he felt completely refreshed.

"How are you doing?" Atemu inquired.

"Fine," Ryou lied, lifting his head off the edge of the tub. Atemu glared at his friend. Ryou smiled weakly. "You shouldn't worry so much about me, Atemu. It's unhealthy."

"What's unhealthy is what _He_ does to you," Atemu growled.

Ryou sighed. "You don't say no to the Master," he recited dully, looking up at the ceiling. Atemu could no longer count the number of times Ryou had said phrase.

Atemu glowered at the walls. "You shouldn't have to go through this."

"Don't talk that way. You don't want to be over heard," Ryou said softly, closing his eyes and letting himself relax into the black putrid smelling tar. "They'll imprison you for treason."

Atemu brooded silently, mouth tight with frustration.

"Atemu," Ryou spoke, smiling sadly. "Thanks. You really don't have to take care of me."

"Who else will?" Atemu asked grimly. "And what else is an ancient Soldier useful for?"

"For your talent at making elixirs? Or perhaps… your vast knowledge of the human world?" Ryou suggested a strange note in his voice.

Atemu frowned. "I barely make enough money mixing potions to survive as it is. And I doubt my human world knowledge will ever be useful again."

"It might," Ryou commented vaguely.

Atemu gave his friend a questioning stare. "What are you talking about?" he asked skeptically.

Ryou smiled again. "I know you're tired and have already done so much for me today, but could you do me one last favor?"

Atemu nodded, still thoroughly confused.

"In the main bathing room, in the upper left corner there should be a demon named Jounouchi in a bath by himself. Would you invite him to join us? Oh and he's a Count so be nice to him."

Atemu looked even more suspicious.

But Ryou gave his old friend an odd uncomforting pat on the shoulder "I'll explain everything when you get back, trust me."

"Sure." Atemu extracted himself from the tar, shaking most of the sludge off his body and his blood-red wings.

He exited the private room and found his way into the main bathing hall. At least a hundred baths were set up there in the large dirt stone hall, all containing various numbers of relaxing demons. Atemu made his way quickly through the black fumes, dodging suspicious looks as he passed; most in his social level would never ever see the inside of an expensive place like this.

He arrived at the upper left corner of the hall. There was a very small, shallow looking tub, probably the cheapest of the lot, and amongst the black mire was a head with golden yellow hair. It looked as though the demon was going through a great deal of trouble to submerge his entire body under the surface. Atemu walked up to the tub. The sole occupant looked up as he approached, brown eyes threatening.

"Are you Jounouchi-san?" asked Atemu politely.

"Who the hell wants to know?" the demon in the tub questioned, voice threatening in a don't-mess-with-me attitude.

"Ryou-sama requests your presence," Atemu stated formally. This demon, while above Atemu in status, should at least treat Ryou with proper respect.

The golden-haired demon's eyes widened in surprise. "Ryou-sama?" he asked, words becoming less hostile.

Atemu nodded. "He's in a private room, I'll show it to you."

The demon named Jounouchi hesitated. "Alright," he agreed and stood up.

Unconsciously, Atemu's eyes widened in horror. The black mud slid off Jounouchi's body to reveal, pure white skin and white leathery wings.

His body itself was well built; it looked like he was a talented fighter. But Atemu was transfixed by the white wings on this demon's back, as skinny and as dry looking as bone, like the fingers of a dead tree that had been left to bake in the hot sun. The thin web of leathery pale skin that stretched between the bones of the wings was sickeningly transparent.

Atemu had heard stories about demons like this but he never actually met one before. He was so entranced at Jounouchi's repulsive appearance that he hadn't even realized that he was gawking until the other spoke.

"Are you done yet?" Jounouchi snapped sharply, glaring at the lower class demon.

Atemu composed him, hastily. "You're… Bleached?" he stated obviously, finding his voice again.

"Oh _really_?" Jounouchi questioned sarcastically looking down at himself in mock surprise. "Wow, I completely hadn't noticed." He gave Atemu a cold look.

Atemu dropped his eyes to the floor. "Forgive me, I-" he apologized roughly.

"Don't," Jounouchi snapped, climbing fully out of the tub and shaking off the black slug from between his clawed toes. "Just don't, ok? I get it enough as it is."

Atemu nodded obediently, he could sympathize with this Count. "I'll show you to the private room."

The two of them walked across the hall again, attracting even more attention. Atemu's sharp ears caught whispers as they passed. Another pang of pity was caught in his gut; Jounouchi probably had to deal with this everywhere he went. Even though he had the status, he was never respected. Finally they reached the other side and Atemu lead him inside Ryou's room.

Ryou did not seem at all surprised to see the Count's condition. "Jounouchi-kun, how are things?"

"Ah, good," Jounouchi muttered, his eyes widened staring at the large and deep tub. "Shit, _sweet_ tub! No way in hell could I ever afford this!" Jounouchi exclaimed admiringly. His brown eyes suddenly jumped toward Atemu, who was getting back into the bath. "Excuse me but is _he_… allowed to be here?"

"And why wouldn't _I_ be?" Atemu questioned stiffly. Jounouchi opened his mouth but hesitated.

"Atemu-kun is my best friend, Jounouchi-kun," Ryou explained kindly. "He is not my servant." It was Atemu's turn to give Jounouchi a cold look now.

"Oh, ah, sorry," Jounouchi gulped nervously. "I just thought… Your wings make you look like…"

"A slave, I know," Atemu sighed. "I suppose we are even now, Jounouchi-kun?"

The golden haired demon flashed a sheepish grin.

"Come, Jounouchi, enjoy this bath with us." Ryou gestured him to come forward.

Jounouchi nodded hastily and scrambled into the tub. He seemed quite pleased as he stretched out comfortably beneath the surface.

"It is good that you two are getting along," Ryou began, black eyes steady. "Because you will be spending a lot of time together."

Atemu and Jounouchi both turned to Ryou, confused.

"What do you mean, Ryou-sama?" Jounouchi asked.

"Please, lose the formality," Ryou requested mildly. "And if you would be so kind as to seal the room from prying ears, Jounouchi-kun."

Jounouchi nodded awkwardly, raised his hand and snapped. White flames sprouted in every corner and every crack in the walls.

"We won't be overheard now," Jounouchi promised.

"Good. I received top secret orders from the Master today," Ryou explained.

Jounouchi's golden eyes widened in admiration. There were very few people allowed to even see the Master. He, Jounouchi, who had been in the army's service for the better part of a thousand years, had never even seen Him in person.

"I have been ordered to go on a mission to the human world and I must take two others with me." The room went oddly quiet.

Atemu looked suddenly very uncomfortable.

"Who will be your two companions?" the ancient Soldier asked casually.

"I was going to choose Jounouchi-kun and you, Atemu-kun," Ryou answered. "I thought that was obvious."

Atemu again hesitated. "Forgive me but I don't believe I am a wise choice."

Ryou looked pleasantly confused. "Why not?"

"For the blatant obvious, I am a mere Soldier. I would be of no use," Atemu explained. "I have no power, no fighting ability to speak of anymore."

"But we will need a doctor for injures, you know the human world better than any other demon I know, and you are an excellent strategist. Your mind is your power. This mission is about secrecy." Ryou explained.

"Then why in hell am I here?" Jounouchi questioned. "No offence, I may be a Count but I'm only good in battle."

"Because we will meet angels down there and you have plenty of experience fighting with angels, don't you?"

"Hell's yeah," Jounouchi answered, suddenly becoming much more interested. "But what exactly _is_ our mission?"

"We will locate and find a power source the angels have hidden in the human world and then transport it back to the Master," Ryou clarified.

Jounouchi and Atemu exchanged surprised looks as Ryou launched into a longer explanation of the battle plans.

…)(-)-(Activation)-(-)(…

"You're late."

They had arrived in an enormous, most luxuriant hall. There, in the center of the hall, was the grandest silver table set on a high white stone platform. At the table sat ten figures enveloped in such a brilliant white light that they were difficult to lay eyes on directly. The four in the center, the Seraphim, had three pairs of wings. The other six occupants on the sides had only two pairs, the Cherubim.

The set of golden doors shut behind Yugi and Bakura as they approached the table. The entire hall was decorated in bright colors, and large intricate tapestries, most of which depicted angels triumphing over demons and Hellfire, covered most of the walls.

"We instructed you to come immediately," a Seraph with long silver hair and a golden eye spoke from the center of the table.

"Forgive me," Bakura sneered. "It's been so long since I've visited, I got lost. Though I must congratulate you, it's astounding how your tastes haven't changed in three thousand years." The white haired angel squinted accusingly up at the holy group. "You still insist on half blinding your guests with your cheap superiority," he commented dryly.

"Bakura-kun," Yugi hissed, warily.

"As well as you, Bakura, we see you have not changed. Did you enjoy your time in your prison cell?" one of the Cherubs on the end of the table asked coldly.

Bakura dark eyes flashed. "Thoroughly."

"We apologize that you got bored so easily. How naïve of us to think that you would grateful to get your freedom back, perhaps even learn from your old mistakes," another spoke.

The ancient angel looked murderous. "Freedom? _This_?"

But his words were ignored. Another council member spoke, hidden by the blinding light of the table. "But we speak of things that have already passed. Today we have a new proposal for you Bakura, one that we believe you will be pleased to hear. It will doubtlessly occupy all of your free time."

Bakura's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Surely I am not being sent out? Or is that the only way you can think to silence me?"

"Bakura-kun, at least _pretend_ to show some respect," Yugi whispered.

"Spare me," Bakura answered curtly.

"Arrogance will not serve you nearly as well as compliance, fool," a voice spoke that did not come from the shinning table above.

Yugi and Bakura looked around to see a dark figure standing in the shadows.

Bakura scoffed. "Is that what you tell yourself, freak?"

The dark figure in the shadows stepped into the light.

This angel had cold yet intelligent eyes, brown hair, and a lean but strong figure. He would have been normal, except for his wings were soot black, dull and un-colorful. This angel's very presence seemed to suck the color and liveliness out of the nearby brilliant tapestries. His expression was emotionless yet carried a fiercely superior air, a trait that Bakura abhorred.

"Kaiba-kun," Yugi greeted warmly. "It's nice to see you again."

"Yugi-sama." Kaiba bowed his head respectfully but his face remained as cold and expressionless as ever.

Bakura's mouth twitched with distaste. "What is a Tainted one doing here?"

"Kaiba is one of our greatest, most respected Principalities and strategists. He will be in charge of all battle maneuvers in this mission," a Seraph spoke.

Bakura snarled. "I'll be dammed if I have to follow orders from the likes of _him_."

"My condition does not affect my ability to serve the State. What's your excuse?" Kaiba asked coolly.

Bakura's violet eyes narrowed. "I've never enjoyed serving. Too many asses to lick."

"Calm down, both of you," Yugi insisted seriously, stepping in between them.

Kaiba turned his attention toward the Council. Bakura did not remove his glare from the back of the Tainted angel's head.

"Because of our current situation on the battle front…" a Cherub began.

Yugi ducked his head, escaping the glare from that bright table.

Bakura turned his suspicious gaze onto the lit stone platform, "You mean your resent defeats."

There was no harsh urge to be silent from Yugi now. He did not have the courage.

"We feel we must take severe action to stop this demon advancement," the center Seraph with the long silver hair continued, observing Bakura warily with his golden eye. The other members of the Council nodded in agreement. "Luckily an opportunity has just come to our attention. Our enemies, the demons below, are hiding a vast reserve of pure energy in the human world. It would be extremely beneficial to our side if we had it in our possession. We have managed to track its location to the country of Japan, somewhere in the town of Domino. We need you three to go down there and retrieve it."

Yugi and Kaiba both bowed deeply in understanding.

Bakura's lip curled as though he was chewing on his tongue in distaste. "And what use would _my_ presence serve?" he questioned challengingly.

"Impudence!" the Cherub on the end spat, outraged. "Know your place! We have treated you with leniency until now but our patience is becoming thin. It is not proper for a mere _Guardian_ to question the powers of our Council!"

But Bakura did not falter, his dark violet eyes only narrowed further.

"There will be demons guarding the location of this source," the main Seraph in the center explained coolly. "We believe your special abilities maybe of use in tracking them down even if they are in human skins."

Bakura's face twisted at the mention of his "special abilities". Kaiba's sharp eyes flickered over to Bakura. Yugi kept his stare on the floor.

"I am a retainer of the State of Heaven," Bakura spat darkly. The golden feathers on his wings twitched. "I have no choice but to follow your desires." There was a dangerously cold tone in his voice. The Council members on either end stirred.

"This mission must be in absolute secrecy. You must not be detected under any circumstances," another Cherub commanded. "Leave as soon as possible." Yugi, Kaiba and Bakura immediately rose to their feet and turned to leave.

"Oh and Bakura," the silver haired angel in the center added with a dry smile. "Remember where your loyalties lie." The white haired Guardian did not pause in his exit out the door.

* * *

)(-)-(Activation)-(-)( end

* * *

This was inspired by a vampire fic I read once, a super long time ago. Can you tell? You will later, maybe.

Everyone ok with Ryou being a demon now? Poor little tortured guy. What about Bakura being an angel? It's not like I'm going to change them if you're not, but I would like to know how my readers feel.

For those who have read some of my other stories, this is another epic-ish sorta story like **Padded Cells**, only my writing has improved soooooooo much, I promise you.

**REVIEW!!! **

Hope you all are having fun! Please give me your _honest_ first impressions? (makes puppy eyes)

NEXT CHAPTER: Speaking of first impressions… Both gangs infiltrate the human world in disguise and both meet some rather interesting characters. YAY! For dramatic irony! (cheers) But is this really going to help their mission?

**REVIEW, PLEASE!!**


	2. Personification

Alright, so I realized that I didn't go over any vocab stuff last chapter so I'm putting it all in this one. If ever in future chapters you need to double check or you get confused about a term, just look at the beginning of this chapter.

Japanese Terms:

Sama – very very very important title, to a lord or a master

San – like Mr. or Mrs. Honorable in everyday situations

Kun – informal title of, usually, a guy who is your friend, bud, peep, pose

Chan – cutesy, like for a girl

And, although it should be pretty clear from the text (of course tell me if it isn't), here is something to put you in perspective:

Angel Hierarchy: (strongest to weakest) Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Hashmallim, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, Guardian Angels. (I know, I know, I thought Archangels would be like the biggest! But they're not. Cool, huh? Thank Wiki for all this btw)

Demon Hierarchy: (weakest to strongest (just because I like to confuse you)) Soldiers, Marshals, Great Marshals, Knights, Presidents, Great Presidents, Count, Great Count, Dukes, Great Dukes, Marquises, Great Marquises, Princes, Great Princes, King. (Redundant, huh? Blame Wiki. I know exactly what you mean, what about Great Knights? What about those? Again, blame Wiki. I might just drop the whole "Great" classes, in fact I just did.)

I know it's only been a week but I want to get this story off and I'm leaving for a week tomorrow so here ya go. A nice and crispy new chapter.

This Chapter is sponsored by Wiki. You know what that is. Now its time to wiki it up and move on to some super sweet reading.

* * *

**Chyaputa 2: Personification**

1. The act of personifying.

2. Inanimate objects or abstractions endowed with human qualities or are represented as possessing human form

3. Artistic representation of an abstract quality or idea as a person.

* * *

"Couldn't you have picked a human skin that is a little less… conspicuous?" Yugi asked delicately, examining Bakura's new human look. The angel had selected a very exotic human form. He had wild white hair cut just below the ears and rich copper skin, which was extremely uncommon in the human countries this far east. This particular body was tall with a stern teenage build, sort of imposing and threatening. 

"Yeah? And what about you?" Bakura answered fiercely.

"What about me?" Yugi questioned. His human body was, to be frank, short. He barely came up to Bakura's chest, thin with a round young face, large purple eyes and light creamy skin. To top it all off, he had black hair with a reddish tint and messy golden bangs. "I was going for low-profile," Yugi explained.

He looked quite ridiculous in Bakura's opinion.

"You're _short_," Bakura commented bluntly, squinting at his superior as if Yugi was so far away he could barely see him. "The humans are going to beat you."

"They will not," Yugi insisted. "They're not as boorish as you think."

Bakura scoffed.

"I can't believe, in all your life times, you've never been to the human world before," Yugi stated.

"Yes, _tragic_," Bakura drawled. "And I'm surprised the Council gave you such a crap mission. Hashmallim never get ordered to go to the human world. You're usually fighting up there with the powerful folk."

Yugi shrugged. "I don't mind. I'll take a station in the human realm over a command at the battlefield any time. I've seen enough of that… side of society," he finished lamely.

Bakura wasn't paying enough attention to his comrade to notice the hurt in his eyes. "We're staying _here_?" he questioned scanning the small room critically. "It's a dump."

"This is one of the houses I stayed at on my missions when I was an Archangel," Yugi explained, sitting down on the bed in the corner. "The human who owns this place believes I'm his grandson, we're living upstairs in a Game Shop."

"If you're this guy's grandson, then who am I?" Bakura questioned.

Yugi tapped the side of his head, thinking. "I think you're my… cousin."

"Yes, you can see the family resemblance," Bakura scoffed.

Yugi shrugged. "Just say you're my, um… what are those called again? Second cousins or something. Your room is right next door." Yugi jumped off his bed and into the hall outside the room. "Yeah, right over here." He pointed a doorway across the hall.

Bakura grumbled to himself, shuffling into his room. It was about the size of Yugi's with old light blue carpet and pealing white walls. "Where's Kaiba's room?"

"Um, Kaiba-kun doesn't live here," said Yugi walking into Bakura's room and examining it. "He's already got a permanent station in the human world, remember? That's how he was able to come down before us and set up our living conditions. He's staying at his house downtown. For security purposes our human identities aren't supposed to know each other but we might see him at school. Oh! I almost forgot." Yugi reached into his pocket and pulled out a slick black object and handed it to Bakura. "This is so we can keep in touch."

"What the hell is it?" Bakura questioned, glowering at the thing in his hand.

"A cell phone." Yugi pulled out his own object exactly like Bakura's only it was a powdery blue, not black. "There's a communication crystal inside so we can always located each other, and we can also use them as normal human cell phones." Yugi slipped his technology back into his jeans pocket. "Our biggest danger will be those demons that are guarding the energy supply."

"But you can handle them," Bakura replied coolly, still examining his cell phone with distaste. "You being all-powerful."

"We still want to avoid confrontation as much as possible," Yugi insisted. "Your job will be to try to find out which humans are actually demons without letting them know who you are. If you find one, don't approach it," Yugi reminded him sternly. "Let Kaiba and I handle it."

"So I'm useless, right?" Bakura growled, finally placing the cell phone into his pocket

"That's not true, we need you." said Yugi truthfully.

Bakura could not have been laden with more doubt.

"Kaiba's going to see what he can find out at his station, he'll be handling the human information network, seeing if that gives us any leads. My job will be trying to find the energy supply, which will probably be next to impossible," Yugi admitted with a small smile. "Oh, and we should leave for school in… fifteen minutes," he said, glancing at his watch.

"School?" Bakura questioned suspiciously.

Yugi frowned. "Don't tell me you didn't read the information on human daily life that I gave you," Yugi groaned.

Bakura took a moment to think. "That thing you gave me right before we left?"

"Yeah," said Yugi obviously.

"Oh…" Bakura turned toward the stairs.

"You did _read_ it, right?" Yugi asked again.

Bakura paused. "I skimmed it…" he admitted with a careless shrug.

"Bakura!" Yugi exclaimed, running to catch up with him. "How are we supposed to blend in if you don't know what your doing!?" Yugi exclaimed. "You'll blow our cover!"

"Hell, freaking relax, will you? Like humans are even smart enough to notice," Bakura scoffed.

"The humans might not but the demons sure will! They'll be keeping an eye out for suspicious people." Bakura shrugged and clamored loudly down the stairs.

"Then we'll find them sooner, now won't we?" Bakura responded coldly. Yugi grabbed his friend's arm fiercely, stopping him in his tracts.

"That's not funny Bakura." Yugi was suddenly very serious. Bakura stopped trying to walk away but didn't look at the shorter angel. "This isn't a game. Those demons can kill you."

"I _know_," Bakura growled and ripped his arm out of Yugi's hold. Yugi looked somewhat hurt. "Stop freaking out, I'll keep my head down. I read most of that useless information anyway."

"Bakura!" Yugi exclaimed. "Don't scare me like that! And you'll probably want to get into your school uniform," Yugi suggested, tossing his friend a pair of clothes. "All students have to wear one."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Why the hell are we _students_ anyway?" he accused, stomping moodily back up the stairs to get on his school uniform.

Yugi scrambled after him, trying to keep up. "The Council managed to track down the energy supply to somewhere in this city, specifically in the area around Domino High School. This is the best way to infiltrate the area and search for the energy supply without suspicion," Yugi explained logically. "Besides, all the teacher positions were taken."

"Fine. Let's just get this over with," he grumbled and shut the door to his room rather loudly.

Yugi sighed, leaning up against the wall as he waited for his friend.

Not two minutes later, Yugi heard an anguished cry from inside Bakura's room. Yugi jumped off the wall in surprise.

"Bakura-kun! What's going on?" Yugi questioned.

He was answered as the door slammed open. Bakura stood there, in the doorway, _very_ naked.

"You know," Yugi began, gazing carefully up at the ceiling, "Humans don't _usually_ go around with their clothes off."

"What the fuck is _that_?" Bakura demanded. He was pointing down at himself.

Yugi glanced down, then back up at the ceiling again, trying to hide the fact that his ears were going pink. "You mean… _that_?" Yugi pointed.

"Yes, _that_. What is _that_? I didn't fucking have _that_ when we left Heaven!"

Yugi groaned, putting a hand up to his face to hide the lower half of his vision. "Bakura-kun, you're in human form now. That's what a human body… looks like."

Bakura scowled, unhappily. "What the hell does it _do_?"

Yugi's face was burning behind his white hand. "Well, Bakura-kun, you chose to be a male human, remember? So I'm sure you know that humans need to… reproduce to exist or else they'd all die out…"

"_What_?" Bakura went from annoyance straight to full-blown fury. "This is _mating_? Why the hell do _I _have it? The Council doesn't expect me to- with these _animals_?"

"Use your head!" Yugi interjected, over the top of his hand. "We're in disguise! If someone noticed you didn't have certain… human features they'd get suspicious. You're not supposed to actually _use_ it. You're not even allowed to use it, according to the Balance Laws."

Bakura squinted at his fellow angel. "Why are you holding your hand up to your face?" he questioned with suspicion.

"It's not polite to go around… unclothed," Yugi stated stiffly.

"You're telling me," Bakura scoffed, looking down. "Who'd want to? It's wrinkly and gross-"

"_Bakura_! Just- get- changed, ok?" Yugi squeaked very loudly.

"How am I supposed to _walk_ with this thing?" asked Bakura. Yugi's face was boiling as he grabbed Bakura by the arm, shoved him back into the bedroom, slamming the door shut.

"Shit," Yugi breathed, falling back against the closed door. "This is going to be a _long_ mission…" he groaned.

…)(-)-(Personification)-(-)(…

The teenager growled as his light lilac eyes examined the depressing, gray building looming up in front of him.

'Looks like a damn prison…' he thought darkly, brushing his platinum blonde hair away from his eyes. His light chocolate-colored skin was glowing in the light of the early morning sun. His handsome mouth formed a frown as he stared up at the terrible place.

A sick feeling wriggled inside of him. Somehow, Malik really couldn't explain why but he knew this year was going to be bad, really bad.

He didn't know why his sister had insisted upon them moving to Japan. He had left all his friends and familiar culture back in Egypt. Now he was in a totally different place, in a totally different country and he was probably the only person with dark skin around for miles. Malik couldn't have stuck out worse if he wore a large sign around his neck saying, "FOREIGNER, BEWARE!".

Then all the sudden, a large object slammed into him, interrupting his train of thought and disorienting him. Malik whirled around and spotted the person who had just rudely ran into him.

"Watch where you're going, jackass!" Malik snarled angrily, brandishing a fist. The other turned around to look over his shoulder; his golden bronze skinned face scowling.

They're eyes met for a brief second, Malik's glance catching on those dark violet orbs…

"Watch where you're standing, bastard!" the other growled threateningly before promptly storming away.

The guy had wild, shoulder length, white hair.

Malik stared after the intruder, face going slightly slack, his breath caught in his throat.

'Holy shit… that guy was fucking _hot_!' he exclaimed silently. His mouth broke out into a broad grin as he skipped in through the school gates.

Malik could feel it in his bones; this was going the best year of his entire life. He just knew it.

…)(-)-(Personification)-(-)(…

Jounouchi strode in through the school gates, alone. Ryou had thought it would be best if they came to school individually, that way they would cover more ground and it would help their secrecy. The schoolyard was buzzing with human student activity, groups of the species gathered in various clumps. When the obnoxious bell rang, all the students began to shift towards the building. Jounouchi followed the flow of humans in through the doors.

"Hey blondie, watch where your going!" a male voice spat as someone from behind shoved Jounouchi through the door. When Jounouchi spun around, he saw the large beefy looking teenager who had touched him and his bodyguards. The thugs laughed cruelly, punching each other in the arm stupidly.

"What did you say, _asshole_?" Jounouchi snarled. A fire lit behind Jounouchi's brown eyes. His shoulders twitched. The bullies looked up. Their laughter died as their small dim stares met the dangerous glint in the demon's eyes.

"Trying to pick a fight, blondie?" their leader sneered.

Jounouchi grinned cockily. "Funny, I thought you jerks already did. And as much as I would enjoy a bit of exercise before class starts, I've got better things to do."

The thugs were angry now. The crowd of students near the entranceway started backing away up against the walls, forming a ring around Jounouchi and the three bullies.

Jounouchi hadn't thought his first fight would come so soon. Turns out survival existed on all levels of organisms.

'Fine, fight with me.' The Count of the Kingdom of Hell could feel his hidden demonic wings stretch as though for flight. 'Just _try_ it.' Jounouchi's hands were balled into fists at his sides, daring the bullies to come closer.

They looked as though they might even take him up on his offer, gathering close together as if ready for attack. There were three of them after all and only one of him. In the thugs dim brains that definitely put the odds in their favor. Of course, these stupid humans had no idea what they were _actually_ dealing with.

"You idiots are crowding up the hall," a cold voice commented.

Jounouchi, the thugs, and rest of the students turned to see another figure step fearlessly out of the crowd. Jounouchi might have mistaken this brunette for a teacher if he hadn't been wearing a crisp blue student uniform, buttoned all the way up to his neck making him look especially stiff and upright.

His icy blue eyes drifted coldly over the scene. In one hand he gripped a silver metal briefcase at his side. "Go have brawl on your own time."

"Mind your own business, pretty boy!" one of the thugs shouted, the other two guffawed boorishly in support of their leader.

The brown haired teenager glowered at the thugs so intensely all three of them recoiled.

Jounouchi frowned. This human was going to get hurt if he kept sticking himself in other people's business. "You should probably step back. I'm sure you wouldn't want to get bruised."

The newcomer snapped his harsh ice blue eyes onto Jounouchi. It was surprising hard, though not impossible, to match the stare with equal force.

"I wouldn't bother wasting my time with you, garbage," the blue-eyed stranger drawled loftily.

Jounouchi's anger roared, his demonic core writhing. This guy pissed him off! "What was that, _bastard_?" Jounouchi snarled, taking a step forward.

The air between Jounouchi and the blue-eyed stranger crackled.

"Wait! Stop!" a voice cried. To Jounouchi's and thugs' great astonishment, a kid with reddish black spiky hair jumped out of the crowd and stood fearlessly right in the center of turmoil, hands outstretched in peace. "Please, don't fight! Just let it go and we can all go to class, okay?" The students lining the walls that surrounded the violent party looked suddenly anxious.

No one moved for a moment, Jounouchi's glare was still battling furiously with the blue-eyed stranger's.

Finally the center bully snorted. "Let's go. It's getting a little too crowded around here." Their leader gestured to his lackeys. "We'll finish this outside of school, eh, blondie?" he called over his shoulder. The thugs staggered away, still chuckling.

The cool brown haired teenager scoffed and then strode coldly away, pointedly ignoring Jounouchi. His silver metal briefcase banged into the blonde's leg painfully as he passed.

Jounouchi seethed with rage, the claws under his mortal disguise flexing. "The _hell_?" he demanded at the cool guy's retreating back. "Freakin' bastard."

The rest of the students slowly went back to their business, jostling and chatting like stupid humans do. Now it was only Jounouchi and this kid who remained.

"Sorry for stepping in," the human kid apologized, "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

'Who said _I_ was going to get hurt?' Jounouchi cursed but kept it inside, this kid was trying to help him after all and Jounouchi couldn't make all the humans hate him in one day.

"Those thugs probably weren't worth it anyway," Jounouchi muttered, stuffing his hands back into his pockets moodily. "Not that I couldn't have taken them," he added.

The kid smiled and Jounouchi liked him a little better. "Um… by the way would you happen to know where room B14 is?" the human asked politely, looking down at his schedule.

The kid was so short. Jounouchi had to crane his neck to look at him properly. "Ah…no idea." Jounouchi looked down at his own list of classes. "But I think that's the room I need to find too."

"Really? Wow, what a coincidence! We can find it together then," the strange kid answered, suddenly cheerful.

"Yeah, sure," Jounouchi agreed with a shrug.

"I think… it might be this way, but I'm not sure," the kid muttered and turned to the left. Jounouchi followed him. "My name's Yugi, by the way," the kid added.

"I'm Jounouchi," Jounouchi answered.

"Nice to meet you, Jounouchi-kun," Yugi said offering a hand.

Jounouchi stared at it then slowly gave his.

"Ah, you too," he answered. "Say, are, ah, you supposed to be here? You look like you're in middle school?" Jounouchi questioned suspiciously. Yugi turned bright red.

"No, I'm in high school! I'm sixteen," he stated defiantly, large purple eyes fierce. Jounouchi actually laughed.

…)(-)-(Personification)-(-)(…

Bakura examined the humans as they swarmed into the classroom, his feet up on the surface of his neat human desk and the blue jacket of his school uniform left open and unbuttoned for comfort.

The class began. The human standing at front of the room wasn't wearing a student uniform and was older, a full-grown adult, probably on its way to dying soon. Humans were always dying off. Bakura assumed this elder was the instructor. This was a place of learning human policies, wasn't it? Bakura couldn't quite remember, he hadn't read Yugi's information very thoroughly.

As soon as the instructor human started talking, Bakura closed his eyes. Silently he spread his tiny threads of influence through out the students, feeling the light of each of their souls, feeling the amount of spiritual awareness each had.

He wasn't completely sure how the Council expected him to find these demons in disguise. Sure, he was extremely sensitive to auras but if angels could hide their presence surely demons could as well. Even with his ability it would take Bakura a while to figure out if someone was a Higher Being in disguise or just a regular human with a slightly powerful aura.

He briefly scanned the class for anything unusual.

There, Bakura's eyes snapped opened. He felt an abnormally strong aura near the front of the room. Bakura glanced up, but it was only to see Yugi.

Bakura slouched back into his seat and that's when he saw him.

Sitting at the desk next to Yugi, the stranger's long, uncared for hair hung like lifelessly white curtains on his head, hiding his face from Bakura's view. His skin was almost as pale as his hair. Yugi had already started a conversation with this pale as death human. The human turned and smiled politely in answer, a fake smile.

"Bakura, was it?" a severe voice snapped above him. Bakura's head tilted up, glaring at the wrinkly, frail human standing in front of his desk.

"What?" Bakura growled harshly, irritated at the interruption. The human instructor's eyes, if possible, grew narrower.

"Were you even trying to pay attention to the current lesson?" she crowed, long slightly hooked nose quivering dangerously.

Yugi and most of the other human students had turned in their seats to look at the troublemaker.

The pale adolescent human who sat next to Yugi turned as well.

Bakura caught sight of a pair of large brown eyes.

"No," he answered the human instructor curtly.

The human students around him gaped and whispered to each other, Bakura wasn't sure why, maybe it had something to do with the abnormal pulsing veins in the adult human's temples.

In the front row, Yugi seemed distressed.

"Well, do you think you could _try_ to look as though you are paying attention?" the human instructor growled through yellow teeth.

Bakura squinted up at her. "No."

Fascinating. Bakura had not known an adult human's face could turn so many shades of red or that their eyes could grow so wide that they seemed about to pop right out of their head. The students around him snickered.

"Principal's office!" the human instructor squeaked, thin claw-like finger pointing threateningly at the door.

"The what?" Bakura questioned, honestly confused now. He really had no idea what a principal was. The instructor, however, seemed to believe that by raising her voice to a screech she could make him get out of her classroom sooner.

"Principal's office, _now_!" she shrieked.

If Bakura remembered any of the information that Yugi had given him, which wasn't much, it was that human students were practically at the bottom of the social ladder and therefore had to follow most orders from adult humans.

Bakura groaned. 'I hate going under cover.' Grudgingly he rose to his feet.

The sea of students around him was still chuckling. Yugi was covering his face in his hands, shaking his head sadly.

The pale human teenager was not laughing but stared at Bakura, making the Guardian angel feel thoroughly uncomfortable.

Then, with much shushing and prodding by the human instructor, Bakura was forced out of the mortal classroom. He had a brief glimpse of Yugi's disappointed look and the pale teenager's stare before the door was slammed shut behind him.

Bakura glared down the hall in both directions. 'What the hell am I supposed to do now?'

…)(-)-(Personification)-(-)(…

Malik had his fists stuffed into the pockets of his pants. First day of school and he was already being sent to the principal's office. His sister would have his head for this one. He turned the corner and found to his great surprise and delight, the very attractive white haired guy who had run into him outside the school gates this morning.

'Oh god… He's here… _alone_.' Malik's stomach did a little flip flop. 'Should I try to talk to him?' Malik wondered, trying his best not to gawk at the magnificent specimen of hotness standing right there in front of him.

Malik decided to take the cool indifferent approach. As casually as he could manage, he strode over to the bronze-skinned teenager, heart clogging up his throat. The other teenager had not even to noticed him yet.

"You lost?" Malik asked curiously. The other teenager suddenly looked up and stared blankly at Malik for a few moments, examining him skeptically.

Malik's insides trembled. 'God, he's _so_ gorgeous.'

"I was ordered by the- to go to a… principal's office?" the gorgeous male stated uncertainly.

"Really? I was told to go there too," Malik commented mildly, trying not to let the eagerness drip through his voice. "I guess we could go together." The other glared at him dully but nonetheless followed Malik down the hall. They walked in silence for a few seconds. Malik had to nail his eyes on the path ahead of him to make sure he wouldn't keep staring at the other.

"Do I know you?" the bronze-skinned teenager questioned harshly as they walked.

Malik's head spun with dizzy excitement. 'Oh god, he remembers me!'

"We met before school, you ran into me," Malik reminded him.

"Oh," was the other's indifferent answer. They continued in silence for some moments again.

"I'm Malik," Malik greeted warmly.

"That's nice," the other teenager grumbled. Malik's face twitched painfully. More silence. God, was this guy unsociable!

"So… are you not from around here?" Malik asked casually, watching the other teenager out of the corner of his eye.

The other did not answer. He didn't even look up.

Perhaps he hadn't heard Malik's question. "Um, I said, are you not from around here?"

"I heard," the attractive teenager returned bitterly.

Malik panicked. Shit. He had offended him. Shit. "Oh god, sorry, I just- your skin color is, ah, you know, unusual around here. I mean, obviously not for me, but I'm from Egypt-" Fuck. He was rambling. He was just spilling out his life story right there. Fuck. This guy hated him. Malik felt a sickening dread fill his lungs.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you!" Malik said hastily, skipping awkwardly to catch up with the gorgeous, infuriated teenager. "Um, the principle's office is that way," Malik pointed out weakly.

The attractive male, finally, listened to Malik's words and moodily turned in the direction Malik had indicated.

Malik, with an awful weight in his chest, followed after him. Maybe silence was best at the moment; Malik didn't want to seem like he was too pushy or too eager to get to know this delectable looking object.

They arrived at the principle's office and both sat down on the bench outside his door to wait for their impending lecture. Malik stared very determinedly at his shoes, trying to find something witty yet kind and repentant to make up for the supposedly rude comment he had said earlier. Malik opened his mouth several times but failed to speak.

"Bakura," the other muttered suddenly, not looking at Malik.

Malik's head shot up to attention. "Excuse me?" he asked politely.

"My name," his companion fixed Malik with a critical stare from his enticing violet eyes, "Is Bakura."

"Ah," Malik answered; his stomach gave an excited lurch again. "Cool," he gulped.

'Cool? Is that all you can say? _Cool_?' he cried silently to himself in his mind. 'Nice, real nice. Now he _totally_ wants you.'

'Shut up,' Malik growled at his subconscious.

…)(-)-(Personification)-(-)(…

There he was again. Jounouchi felt his blood pressure rise. So far that _bastard_ was in every one of Jounouchi's classes, always sitting there in the very back row, with his fancy metal briefcase beside him on the floor. Those emotionless blue eyes were aloof, bored as though he, unlike his fellow students, could afford not to pay much attention. He never even gave Jounouchi the slightest look of recognition as the blonde entered his classroom.

Jounouchi stormed over to the furthest seat away from _the bastard_ and sat sloppily down into it. The teacher entered and Jounouchi focused his angry brown eyes upon the black board in front of him.

Who in hell did he think he was? Jounouchi snuck glances at the stiff brunette over his shoulder. The arrogant bastard. Jounouchi looked again. Had he even noticed Jounouchi was there? Surely he remembered him? Their meeting in the hallway that morning hadn't been that long ago.

"Jounouchi," a harsh voice snapped.

The blonde jumped, falling out of his chair. The students laughed as Jounouchi got clumsily back into his seat.

The teacher, a chubby balding man in his middle age, glared at Jounouchi reproachfully. "How nice of you to join us. Please stand up, properly this time," the teacher drawled. Jounouchi got warily to his feet, fully aware of the suppressed snickering around him. "Do you think you could do that problem on the board for me, since you have been paying such good attention to my lesson today?" the adult asked mildly, jabbing his fat finger toward the board. Jounouchi squinted at the board and he gulped.

'Shit,' Jounouchi cursed silently. 'He knows I haven't been paying attention!'

"Ah, I didn't quite understand while you were explaining it…" Jounouchi tried unconvincingly. The other students started to giggle again.

Jounouchi heard a distinct familiar scoff from the very back of the room.

"Idiot."

It was barely a whisper but Jounouchi's keen hearing caught it.

He spun his head around to see the brunette smirking cruelly at him. Their glares caught and tangled with each other for a second. Jounouchi's temperature rose considerably, hatred burning in his brain. He had to bite the inside of his lip to stop his demonic chemicals from building up.

"If you were confused about the material you should have asked," the teacher scolded smugly. "Otherwise how do you expect to learn?"

"Yes, sir," said Jounouchi through barred teeth. More students snickered.

"Sit down, Jounouchi," the teacher ordered. "Maybe that will teach you to pay attention more in my class." Jounouchi dropped back down into his seat, fuming with rage, eyebrow twitching.

…)(-)-(Personification)-(-)(…

The first day of school was boring for Atemu. Human world technology and learning methods had changed considerably since he had last been stationed down there but the rest of human society was the same.

The last period of the day, physical education, had ended. The teacher had chosen to kick the year off with basketball. Atemu and the many students around him now stacked their orange balls on the rack and headed back inside the school to change out of their gym uniforms.

Atemu was about to reenter the school when a commotion caught his eye. He turned again and saw three large, thick-looking teenagers who had chose to remain behind the rest of the class. The three large bullies had mean expressions on their faces as they surrounded a shorter student and began to throw stray basketballs at him.

"Hey shrimp, think fast!" one taunted. The ball hit the kid in the face and pushed him to the asphalt. The bully's fellows laughed.

Atemu frowned, disgusted by such primitive means of amusement.

"Hey," he called, moving away from the door and closing in on the bullies. The thugs looked up as he approached. "Class is over. I think you all should go inside now," he ordered sternly.

"Oh, look guys! A rescuer for the rescuer?" one of the thugs barked mockingly, fists tightening menacingly. "Meddling bastard. Don't stick you nose in things that don't concern you."

"_Yeah_," another added, grinning maliciously, "We've gotta little unfinished business with this pipsqueak."

Atemu walked calmly up to the bullies and stood in front of the student victim. "You shall not touch him," he commanded again.

The two cronies actually hesitated for a second but their leader continued to advance, grinning with crocked yellowing teeth.

"You two meddlers are going to learn a nice little lesson now. It's called 'keep out of other people's business-'" and without warning a fist smacked Atemu hard across the face, "Or you'll get hurt."

The blow actually sent Atemu to the ground, more out of surprise than out of sheer force. The kid Atemu was protecting squeaked. Atemu crouched on the asphalt for a few seconds, stunned by his encounter with human pain. That had hurt! He had forgotten how fragile human bodies were.

"Leave him alone!" the voice of the smaller student cried out. Atemu looked up to see the kid get up off the ground in defiance.

The thugs laughed stupidly. "Oh,how _brave_!" one of them teased cruelly. "_Oooo_, I'm scared now!"

"You should be!" a new voice that Atemu recognized announced. All three bullies turned to see Jounouchi jump dramatically onto the scene and stand right next to the shorter student. Atemu sighed, the blonde certainly liked to make an entrance, didn't he?

"'Eh look! It's blondie again!" one of the thugs cried. "Saves us the trouble of hunting you down."

"Oh, you _remember_ me? I'm impressed. I didn't think your little brains could take the strain!" Jounouchi spat. The thugs sneered at the blonde belligerently. "I suggest you all back off before I break you all's faces," Jounouchi added seriously.

"I'd like to see you-" one of them began but was cut short as Jounouchi leapt up and kicked the center thug square in the face. The bully cried out in pain and all three fell back. "You broke my nose!" he shouted, blood spurting out of his smashed appendage.

Jounouchi grinned. "And I'll break more than that if you don't leave right now, assholes!" the Bleached demon threatened, brandishing his fists.

The bullies couldn't scamper away fast enough, tripping over each other as they dashed away back into the school doors.

Jounouchi laughed gleefully and then turned to his other two companions. "How was that?" the blonde asked grinning triumphantly and giving them a victory pose.

"Perfect," Atemu grumbled, spitting blood out of his mouth. He felt someone drop down beside him and looked up to see the student he and Jounouchi had protected. His wide purple eyes were full of concern as they examined Atemu's injury.

"I'm sorry," the student apologized. "This is all my fault."

"I'm fine," Atemu assured him carelessly. "It will heal." The kid placed one cool hand under Atemu's chin and Atemu winced.

"Sorry," the kid apologized again. "Here I'll-"

Like someone had just shocked Atemu with a bolt of electricity, there was a sudden sharp sting of pain in his wounded cheek. Atemu cried out and pulled away from the kid's hold, eyes watering.

'What the hell was _that_?' Atemu thought bewildered, shaking himself slightly, looking around for the source but saw nothing but Jounouchi and the kid in the area. 'That felt like… like magic for a second. But it couldn't be…'

The kid looked as shocked as he felt. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" the kid asked. Atemu stared transfixed at the kid for a second. Could it be that this human was…? But he couldn't.

"Atemu, Yugi, are you guys okay?" Jounouchi asked, looking confused.

"Yugi…?" Atemu questioned, turning to Jounouchi and then back to the kid. "You two have met before?"

"Yeah, he rescued me from a fight in school earlier today," Jounouchi explained, patting the kid named Yugi on the head.

"He rescued _you_?" Atemu questioned. Yugi grinned and Jounouchi shrugged.

"Ok, so he stopped me from pummeling a guy," Jounouchi admitted carelessly.

Atemu grinned. "That sounds plausible."

"You're name is Atemu?" Yugi asked curiously, those purple eyes blissfully oblivious, like most humans were.

"Yeah," Atemu answered uneasily, studying this human with new interest. Yugi smiled warmly. The action looked sincere even to Atemu's experienced eye.

Atemu put a hand up to his wounded face. 'Maybe I just imagined that sting…' he thought.

"I'm sorry you got hurt because of me," said Yugi again.

"It's alright," Atemu brushed off.

"Well, come on. Let's at least get Atemu to the nurse's office," Jounouchi suggested.

Yugi got up and offered Atemu a hand. Atemu hesitated, suspicious thoughts circling his brain, but took the hand anyway.

* * *

…)(-)-(Personification)-(-)(…

* * *

I know. I know. Malik _is_ amazing. I love him as much as I hate fingerprints on my pristine cell phone screen. And that, my dear friends, is A LOT! 

Bakura is so freaking bad-ass. I would heart him, but then he'd stab me. (runs away)

Yes, that was a cliché bully taunting and beating up of Yugi. But the little guy doesn't mind. He can totally blast those guys into millions of Potato chips with like a twitch of his ear. Besides Yugi is as soft as Kaiba is hard to write, and _that_ is A HELL OF A LOT!!

NEXT CHAPTER: Can you see the relationships forming? Well, you will . Bakura' got this nasty parasite problem. Yugi's singing in the rain. Jounouchi goes on a rampage of the living room. Ryou's pulling a Shikamaru, aka looking at pretty clouds.

**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!**

You know you want to review and tell me how bad/good my story is as much as I am looking forward to this camping trip with my family. Which is, actually a lot, surprisingly. SO DO IT!!! As Zim, the Most Disturbing Animated Character, would say: DOOOOOOOOOO!! Pigbeasts!

**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	3. Observation

Holy shit. I love Death Note. Just wanted to say that. Put that out there in the open. It's one sweet manga/anime/movie. The second opening is like the theme song for this fic. Not the whole screaming thing, the "Hey, hey, human sucker. Ah, human… human fucker" part. (dances) It sounds loserish and lame and it kinda is, but I heart it, for some odd reason. So grundgy and emo… Yum yum.

Ain't it neat that gray can be spelled grey _and_ gray? Could be a sign or something.

Some reviewer said my fic needed more depth. I'm not quite sure what that means but I'll try. I promise. Just tell me if I succeed or not, buddy.

Now read, you freaks.

* * *

**Chyaputa 3: Observation**

1. an act or instance of noticing or perceiving.

2. an act or instance of regarding attentively or watching.

3.the faculty or habit of observing or noticing.

* * *

The sky was imposing.

Heavy, fast moving clouds blocked out the light from the sun. Ryou breathed in the scent of the oncoming storm, his human skin shivering. The whole atmosphere was laden with energy, intensity. It was so wonderful to observe. The winds that moved so freely on top of the roof of the school were clean and sharp, making him feel alive, awake.

There was no place this peaceful at home.

He stood at the very edge of the roof, face against the black chain link fence, looking out at the ground below and into the fast approaching stormy front. Pale fingers curled themselves on the black wire. How amazing. The strong musty wind hit him in the face, stinging his large brown eyes and pulling his long white hair away from his face.

Then a sound interrupted the demon Prince's tranquility. A loud slam as the rusty door that led to the roof was thrown open. Ryou rotated his head to look curiously over his shoulder, his body not leaving the fence.

A human, a student with shoulder-length, snow-white hair emerged, the richness of his bronze skin dulled by the gray light from the sky above.

Ryou stared at the newcomer as the other determinedly watched him. Neither moved for a few seconds.

The newcomer had a wall of suspicion behind his dark violet eyes.

"Hi," Ryou spoke for it was the proper mortal greeting.

The human teenager's firm mouth did not voice a response, as though Ryou were some a wild animal who might lash out at any moment. "What are you doing up here?" the bronze skinned teenager accused harshly.

Ryou blinked, perplexed. Why did he care what Ryou was doing on the roof? "Nothing," Ryou answered. "Just looking at the view. The clouds are exciting, aren't they?"

The other teenager was grim, skeptical. He was angry though Ryou could not tell why. "That's not the word I would use," he commented dryly. The mortal disliked gloomy, haunting weather like this.

He hated grey.

He seemed to dislike a lot of things

A large gust of wind caught the rusty door and slammed it shut with a loud snap. The other teenager flinched.

"You shouldn't be up here," spoke the newcomer, eyes dark and fierce.

Ryou was confused. "Why?"

The other looked slightly aggravated. "You'll fall off," he answered, wild white hair whipping around his head violently, obstructing Ryou's view of his eyes.

"There's a fence here, how could I?" Ryou questioned, turning fully to face the stranger, the wind now blowing the demon's own long hair into his face.

"You'd climb over the fence," the other answered.

"Only if I wished to fall off," Ryou added logically.

The other teenager's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Don't you?" he accused.

Ryou blinked again and pulled a strand of white hair out of his mouth. "No," he answered truthfully and gave the student a reassuring smile.

'It would make no difference, I would not die,' he added silently to himself.

The bronze-skinned teenager looked surprised, even repulsed, by Ryou's response. Then uncomfortable.

"Oh," the moody human expressed. The sound was so simple it was almost carried off completely by the wind.

"Did you think I was going to jump?" Ryou questioned.

The other paused before answering. "… suppose." He shrugged.

Ryou blinked again, thoroughly perplexed. This student was very strange.

"Did you come up here to save me?" Ryou asked.

The bronze skin teenager turned forcefully away from Ryou severing their connection "_No_," he answered a little too firmly.

Ryou was surprised. The other was uneasy.

Ryou took a step away from the fence. "Would you have stopped me, if I had tried to jump?"

The other teenager stared scrupulously at Ryou for a few seconds. "Probably."

"Why?"

Again the other stared at him, intense dark eyes narrowed, brain picking through Ryou's question carefully. "I would have wanted to know why," he answered finally.

"But you would have saved me?" Ryou asked. "You would have saved me from Hell?"

The other scowled. Something obscure shifted behind those dark eyes. For one moment Ryou saw something dangerous and deathly there. A shiver passed through the air between them.

"I don't believe your Hell," the strange human announced.

Now Ryou was a little too shocked. His hell? But this human didn't know… This human couldn't know Ryou's Hell. The human version he was thinking of was much different. Because surely all humans believed in a place where their lives would be judged, in some way or another… no one could live without believing that, right?

"Maybe that person who wants to kill themselves feels that Hell is where they belong," Ryou suggested, looking up at the dark gray sky.

He heard the other teenager scoffed coldly. "Cowards say stuff like that."

Ryou did not answer.

As if on cue, the clouds above them crackled. Then all the sudden it started to pour, buckets and buckets of water upon their heads, blissfully cool rain that clung to Ryou's pale skin. It was refreshing.

The other teenager cursed, loudly.

Ryou blinked. "It's just rain," he called over the wind. Another fork of lighting flashed across the dark sky. Ryou left the black fence. "Come on," Ryou called, motioning the other teenager towards the stairs. The other followed him quickly, down inside the building.

As soon as the door was slammed shut behind them, Ryou turned to look at his roof companion. The bronze skinned teenager looked utterly miserable, his limbs stiff and his face screwed up against the unpleasantness of his soaking wet clothing. The other glared at Ryou harshly and then shook himself like a dog, spraying water everywhere.

"Does this happen all the time?" the mortal asked furiously, ringing out his white hair.

"Depends," Ryou commented, white locks sticking to his wet face. "Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't."

The other glared at him, soaking wet clumps of white hair hanging in front of his eyes. "That's not an answer," he growled irritably.

Ryou shrugged. "I suppose not."

"Bakura!" a new voice cried from the landing below. "Is that you?"

The bronze skinned teenager's shoulders flinched. "Fantastic," he groaned in a not-fantastic way.

"Friend of yours?" Ryou inquired.

His roof companion rolled his eyes. "A human parasite."

A second new teenager ran up the stairs then stopped short as his pale lilac eyes caught sight of Ryou.

"Oh, hello," the new teenager with light chocolately skin and platinum blonde hair greeted Ryou friendly.

"Hi," Ryou answered.

Something twitched in the back of Ryou's brain. A dull stinging sensation was spreading across his mind. This newcomer that had just come up the steps, there was something about him that seemed… strangely familiar. Something Ryou couldn't quite place…

"Who's this?" the newcomer asked the moody guy, the two seemed to have met prior.

The student who had been out on the roof with him, Bakura, glared at the new guy angrily. "How should _I_ know?" Bakura snapped, avoiding the question, and began stomping back down the stairs moodily, leaving little puddles of water in every step he took.

"My name is Ryou," said Ryou.

The newcomer smiled. "I'm Malik," he replied. His eyes revealed nothing other than the usual teenage drama. The name didn't ring a bell so Ryou let his curiosity go. "And that guy, he's Bakura, in case you didn't know already."

"Can we go now?" Bakura spat.

"I'm talking," Malik called after him. "Besides, if you wait, it will give you time to dry off." Bakura fumed with indignation, spun around and stormed off by himself. Malik chuckled. "He's new around here, doesn't quite know where anything is so I'm helping him. He's really not so bad once you get to know him," he insisted as if he sensed Ryou was thinking bad thoughts about his friend.

"I'm sure he is," Ryou responded kindly.

…)(-)-(Observation)-(-)(…

"I'm home!" Yugi called as he closed the front door of the game shop behind him, shutting out the pouring, thunderous rain outside. He took off his backpack, his jacket, and his sopping wet sneakers and dripping soaks in the doorway; his toes were pale and wrinkly. Yugi stepped onto the warm dry carpet with a sigh.

Without warning a sick feeling that he had been trying to ignore ever since the rain had started on his way home from school began to gnaw at Yugi's bones. He had made the biggest mistake of his career that day and he knew it. But it had been a total accident! It wasn't that student's, Atemu's, fault that he got hurt. How was that guy supposed to know that Yugi never actually needed his help, that Yugi could probably take on more than a thousand of those thugs easily?

It had happened when Yugi reached out to examine Atemu's wound. The High Hashmallim's subdued, angelic powers had sparked instinctively from his fingers, unconsciously. Yugi had gotten into the habit of healing whatever injuries he saw on the battlefield; the impulse had been automatic.

But what puzzled Yugi most of all was that the human had had a strange reaction to Yugi's energy. No one Yugi had ever reached out to had ever felt pain. He hoped it was just because Atemu was human.

Either way, Yugi should try to keep better control of his powers.

Troublesome thoughts circulating his brain, Yugi walked up the stairs, thinking of taking a nap when he heard the television on the next room. Yugi peeked in and was surprised to see Bakura sitting on the couch, remote in hand, glaring angrily at the TV. Now that Yugi thought of it… there was barely anything that Bakura did not glare at.

"Hello," Yugi greeted, coming in and sitting down on the couch beside his friend. Bakura grunted in response, face twisted slightly in disgust. He was watching a soap opera of some sorts. The beautiful young love interest was confessing his love once again to an equally beautiful young woman. Yugi looked concerned at his friend. "Ah, Bakura… why are you watching this?" Yugi asked warily.

"Research," Bakura snapped, still glaring at the TV. Yugi looked surprised.

"I thought you didn't care about being undercover?" Yugi asked.

Bakura's mouth tightened. "The less attention from the humans the better, right?" he grumbled grudgingly.

Yugi shrugged mildly but held an "I told you so" firmly in his mouth since he too had to work on his undercover skills. So he began to focus on the TV. The guy and the girl had started kissing. Bakura looked, if possible, even more thoroughly disgusted.

"What the fuck is _that_?" he questioned horrified, squinting at the TV as the couple swapped spit enthusiastically.

Yugi bit his lip. "It's… um, romance of sorts," he explained awkwardly.

"Looks like a mating ritual if you ask me," Bakura scoffed horrified, tilting his head sideways as if this would make the human's activity make more sense.

Yugi turned slightly pink. "Um… it kinda is, sorta…" Yugi mumbled.

Bakura's mouth contorted as the couple in the TV launched themselves on a bed. "He looks like his trying to eat her," Bakura spat. "Ah… oh hell. That just _gross_." The Guardian angel's muscles tightened, from his abdomen to his throat. "I need to go wash my eyes out." Bakura turned the television off and stormed into bathroom, Yugi could hear the furious splashing of water accompanied by Bakura's dark grumbling of disgusting human animals. Yugi grinned, stifling giggles, and went off to his room to start his homework.

Not five minutes later, Yugi heard the TV turn back on.

…)(-)-(Observation)-(-)(…

"No, you guys aren't listening!" Jounouchi demanded, pacing around the apartment Atemu, Ryou and him were all sharing. Atemu was in the corner reading a book and Ryou sat in an armchair, politely listening to Jounouchi's report for the day.

"Who is this guy again?" Ryou asked curiously.

Jounouchi hesitated. "I, ah, don't actually know his name… yet," Jounouchi admitted. "But he's in like every one of my classes, the bastard."

"He's just a human, Jounouchi. Ignore him," Atemu advised calmly, red eyes fixed on his book.

Jounouchi spun toward Atemu. "But that's just it," the Count of Hell explained, eyes wide. He spun to Ryou now, frantic. "I was thinking about it and I figure, he's gotta be an angel, right?"

Atemu looked up from his book abruptly. Ryou continued to stare thoughtfully at Jounouchi with his brown eyes.

"Jounouchi, we've barely been here a day, it's practically improbable that we would find angels so quick," Atemu reminded him, closing his book. "Just because some human bothered you a bit-"

"Hey, hey! I'm not saying he's an angel because he pisses me off, even though he does. He's got, you know, something about him that's just…" Jounouchi paced the room one more time. "God, if you saw the way he acts, arrogant bitch, he's… unnaturally freaky. He doesn't associate with anyone and he doesn't pay attention in any of his classes, like he already _knows_ everything. And, well… there's just something about this guy that… that… I can't describe it."

"That doesn't automatically make him our enemy," Atemu continued warily, unfazed by the hotheaded blonde's interruption. "Human's can be jerks too, not just angels. Don't let this guy distracted you from our mission."

"But I got a _feeling_ about this guy, ok? An _instinct_," Jounouchi insisted

"If you feel so strongly about it, Jounouchi-kun, why don't you look into this human?" Ryou suggested mildly. Atemu frowned in disapproval but kept his mouth close; it was Ryou's call, not his.

Jounouchi thought this idea over for a moment. "Yeah… yeah, that sounds good. Ah… how would I do that?"

"You could follow him around, get to know him, investigate," Ryou proposed.

"Uh-huh, that sounds good," Jounouchi muttered, a plan formulating in his brain.

"Just don't do anything reckless or without reason," Atemu advised the blonde, turning back to his book. "We don't need you revealing yourself needlessly just to find out that he's really a normal human. We can't afford to draw attention to ourselves from the humans, and especially from the angels."

"What makes you think _I_ would do something like that?" Jounouchi questioned Atemu intensely. Ryou smiled in amusement.

"Just promise you'll make sure to get all the facts before you start accusing people, Jounouchi," Atemu requested dryly.

"I will, I will," Jounouchi insisted carelessly. "Who do you think I am?"

…)(-)-(Observation)-(-)(…

"Bakura!" The cry was followed by the sound of feet running down the school hallway.

Bakura's eye twitched. He continued to face the inside of his locker, refusing to look at the approaching human. A pounding headache had developed behind his eyes after watching six plus hours of TV the previous night. He had been watching at least five hours of TV each night for the past week to catch up on his human vocabulary and customs.

That human came to a rushed stop at Bakura's locker, face slightly flushed, probably because of the exercise. "Wow, your hearing must really suck. I can't believe you didn't hear me calling you," he exclaimed whilst panting.

He had caught the animal's name once before… what was it? Something weird sounding… Malha? Maija? I wasn't important.

Bakura slammed his locker closed very loudly, then glared at the human teenager.

It had been a week. A week since he had been trapped in this god-forsaken human wasteland by the fucking arrogant Council. Every single day he had to wake up and go to this god-forsaken learning establishment to be greeted by this… this over-excitable, annoying mortal. He was always running around and acting disgustingly cheerful, no matter how much Bakura tried to ignore him or glare at him he didn't go away.

"What's the matter Bakura?" the human asked curiously, noticing on some level of his dim mind that Bakura was glaring at him. "Do I have something in my teeth?" He immediately began running his tongue across his gums.

Bakura's jaw clenched.

Why did he even let this human follow him around? The Higher Being still had no idea. The mortal was very annoying, but, _sometimes_, the human turned out to be useful. He already seemed to comprehend that Bakura lack of knowledge of this boring human realm yet the mortal never questioned him. Often times, the human would start explaining things without being asked, he even helped Bakura out of some near humiliating social situations.

So Bakura tolerated him. At least this way Bakura wouldn't have to interact with any other humans besides… Malka, Mumhan? Whatever.

Now he could focus on his other problem. The mission.

The mission those plotters and manipulators on the Council had tricked him into. He had to find a demon, just one would do. Even if he that meant he would have to follow orders and play straight into the Council of Bastards and More Bastards' hands.

He had performed brief scans of humans in classrooms and hallways but other then that he had accomplished nothing. Most of the mortals, of course, had such dim spiritual powers that they had no chance in Hell, or Heaven, of being a demon.

From the exact moment he had come in contact with this chocolate-skinned human, Bakura knew that this parasite was one of the few exceptions who had a large amount of spiritual awareness. But now that he found these "exceptions", how was he going to find out if they were demons or not? It would take a significant amount of time and concentration to complete an accurate exam. He couldn't do it in school, there were be too many distractions.

"Hey, Majak," Bakura started, leaning his back up against his locker.

The animal's face fell. "It's Malik," he reminded him.

Bakura ignored the interruption. "How do I remain alone with a person undisturbed for say two hours?" he asked bluntly. Malik stared at him for a few seconds, thinking.

"Um… I guess you could take them to a movie," Malik suggested. His lilac eyes were suddenly drawn downward, shoes scuffling on the floor.

"A movie…?" Bakura thought about this. He knew what a movie was, he had seen people on the TV go to movies. Large dark rooms where humans stared at a colorful moving picture screen for hours on end. That… might work.

"You know what a movie is? It's that thing where people-" Malik launched into another one of his explanations but Bakura gave him a look and Malik stopped in mid sentence.

"I _know_," Bakura drawled.

"Oh," Malik gulped and then looked down at his shuffling shoes again.

Bakura rolled his eyes. What in hell was so fascinating about those dammed shoes? Malik looked up and spotted Bakura staring at him and his chocolate-ly face went red. Bakura wondered if he was sick. Was an abnormal amount of blood going to the face and a constantly wanting to look down at one's foot coverings a symptom for some weird human disease?

"You… healthy?" Bakura inquired, squinting at him.

Malik immediately straightened up. "Yes! I mean… I'm fine…" he stammered and began to twirl his thumbs distractedly.

'So, he's being irritating, _again_,' Bakura concluded. He scowled, might as well get it over with.

"Come to a movie with me," Bakura ordered, bored. Malik's mouth hung open for a few seconds, eyes growing round.

"W-what…?" Malik gaped. He looked pale, like he had forgotten how to breathe. "You want to g-go out with _me_?" Bakura's scowl deepened, what was so hard about this concept?

"Yes… out to a _movie_," Bakura reminded him bitterly.

"I'd love to go out with you!" Malik blurted out suddenly. Several human students around them stopped in their tracks to turn and stare at Bakura and Malik. "Oh. Sorry," Malik said meekly, hands creeping up to the cover his mouth.

Bakura's eye started twitching again. "Right…" he drawled, turned and then started walking down the hall towards home. Inevitable feet came scampering after him.

"W-what are we seeing?" Malik asked him hastily.

Bakura's teeth clenched, more god-forsaken questions. "You choose," he answered sharply, turning around a corner and heading for the door.

"Oh… ok! I can do that!" Malik assured him excitedly, bouncing up and down as he tried to keep up with Bakura. "I'll call you, ok?"

"Sure," Bakura answered curtly, exiting the school. Dammed irritating humans. Bakura detested going undercover.

…)(-)-(Observation)-(-)(…

It was lunchtime and _most_ students were hanging out in the halls or empty classrooms, eating their lunches and talking with friends. But there was _the bastard_, sitting apart from them all in his same dark corner, reading. Reading! Probably some pompous, snobby book too. Jounouchi frowned and glared at the guy from across the room. This was it. Jounouchi was about to step into place where no sane human had gone before.

He was going to talk to _the bastard_.

Jounouchi moved across the room as stealthily as possible and then, before he could lose his nerve, he sat down on the desk _exactly_ in front of the brunette.

"How ya doing…" Jounouchi had to tilt his head to the side to read the name on the metal briefcase, "… Kaiba?" he finished. The brunette, _the bastard_, Kaiba, looked up from his book.

Jounouchi barred his teeth in what he hoped was a friendly smile.

Kaiba stared at Jounouchi with his cold blue eyes, made a small rude noise in the back of his throat, then looked back down at his book, continuing to read.

Jounouchi's barred teeth, grinded. "Hey, hello? I'm talking to you."

"I hadn't noticed," Kaiba answered sarcastically.

Jounouchi's fingernails dug into his knee. 'Calm down, focus. Remember the mission,' he told himself.

"What you reading?" Jounouchi asked, voice strained.

Kaiba shot him another freezing glare.

"What? I'm _just_ asking."

"What are you doing here?" Kaiba questioned harshly, closing his book, his ring finger holding his page.

Jounouchi feigned innocence. "What do mean?"

Kaiba's blue eyes narrowed under his brown bangs. "I'm not in the mood for idiotic riddles. Go away," Kaiba snapped, turning back to his book.

"You never answered my question," Jounouchi demanded stubbornly.

Kaiba scoffed. "You never answered mine," he corrected coldly.

Jounouchi growled under his breath, "I asked mine first."

And Kaiba ignored him, like a prick.

Silence continued, Jounouchi watched as a group of giggling girls walked into the classroom, exchanging gossip, comparing hair styles, or however female humans spent their time. It looked like Kaiba had completely forgotten he was there. Jounouchi let out a loud tired sigh. This was going to be harder than he thought.

Kaiba shot him another look.

"Yes?" Jounouchi asked expectantly.

"I believe I told you to go away," Kaiba commented haughtily.

"I was trying to be nice," Jounouchi grumbled. "_Excuse_ me for trying to start a dammed conversation with you."

"If you wanted to be considerate you would have never come over here in the first place, idiot," Kaiba drawled coldly.

Jounouchi's demon instincts flared. "You know what, bastard? Why don't you just fu-"

"Well, Jounouchi! Would it be alright with you and Kaiba if I started class?" the loud and harsh voice barked behind the blonde. Jounouchi turned to see an entire class of students staring and chuckling at him. His short chubby math teacher was giving him and Kaiba a very nasty condescending look. Even from across the room Jounouchi could see blood vesicles lining the whites of his eyes.

"Now, if you would be kind enough to take a seat, Jounouchi," the teacher mocked. The students giggled. Jounouchi growled, shot one last look at Kaiba and then flopped down in the desk in front of him.

Well, at least he knew the _bastard's_ name now. Not bad for a day's work.

…)(-)-(Observation)-(-)(…

The bus came to jolting stop and the doors sprung open. Atemu and a large group of other students piled onto the bus, squeezing into the crowd of people. He barely managed to grab the overhead bar before the bus jerked back into motion again. People leaned sideways and then wobbled as they tried to regain their footing. Unexpectedly, Atemu found himself squashed between an old businessman and a young woman talking on her cell phone whose elbow was digging into his side. It looked like there were fewer people in the back of the bus so he circled around the old businessman and slipped through the crowd into the back. It was a little more spacious but not very much, at least Atemu had his own corner.

The crowd split again and a familiar teenager with reddish black hair and blonde bangs stumbled out of it. It was Yugi, the kid Atemu had rescued the week before. He was balancing four large textbooks and a stack of homework under his arms as he struggled to find a place to stand.

Atemu stiffened and casually gazed out the window to avoid eye contact and forced greetings. He still wasn't sure how he felt about this kid. Something odd had definitely happened during their first meeting, whether it came from Yugi or not.

At that moment the bus jerked to another stop. People all around shook and Yugi tripped and fell onto an old lady, dropping all his books and papers, sending them sliding underneath seats and into people's feet. Yugi looked very distressed.

"Sorry, sorry," he apologized hastily to the old lady, running after one of his books as it landing under a stern looking man in a gray jacket. "Ah, excuse me sir, do you think you could hand me that book…" The man passed Yugi the book quickly, giving the boy a scolding look. "Thank you…" Yugi muttered hastily.

Atemu looked down at his own feet and saw a book there as well as a messy bunch of papers. Rolling his eyes at the irony of fate, he kneeled down and shuffled the papers into a pile and then picked them up with the book. Yugi had retrieved two of his books already and had begun to gather up the rest of his loose homework.

"Here," Atemu said, offering the supplies to Yugi. The other teenager looked up, purple eyes widening as they recognized Atemu.

"Oh, thanks," Yugi answered, flashing Atemu an unbelievingly relieved smile as he took his homework back. "I hope that's all of the papers. I'm still missing a book though…" The bus started up again, Atemu caught Yugi's arm before he could fall again and then placed the shorter student's free hand on a handrail.

"Thanks," Yugi murmured.

"It's nothing," Atemu responded.

The last book slid out from its hiding place across the disgusting floor and threatened to slip back the tightly packed crowd at the front of the bus. Atemu snatched it as it went by. "I think that's the last one," he said though he hesitated giving it back to the kid yet; it looked as though Yugi couldn't take anymore without dropping what he was already holding.

"Thanks." Yugi grinned sheepishly. "I'm so clumsy."

"Anyone would fall over with this crazy driver," Atemu pointed out.

Yugi chuckled even though Atemu hadn't meant it to be funny.

"Um, your name's Atemu, right?" Yugi asked curiously.

Atemu nodded, he was surprised the kid remembered; he could only have heard it once.

"And you're Yugi, if I recall correctly," Atemu added.

"Yep, that's me," Yugi said cheerfully.

Atemu nodded stiffly, figured that this was an appropriate amount of casual conversation, and stared out the window. Yugi took the hint and remained silent as well. The bus ride continued in awkwardness.

Atemu sighed inwardly. He supposed a little more small talk wouldn't be so painful.

"What are all the papers for?" he asked.

"Oh. I lost one of my notebooks, so I've had to take all my notes on separate pieces of paper. I left my last class in a hurry 'cause I thought I was going to miss the bus so I didn't have time to put all my papers in my backpack," Yugi explained.

"Sounds like a rough day," Atemu commented sympathetically.

Yugi shrugged. "Mostly just chaotic. But now my notes are all dirty now and I might not be able to read them anyway," Yugi concluded with a hopeless shrug. "Oh well."

"What class do you have last period?" Atemu asked.

"Ah, math," Yugi answered. "Geometry with Chairo-sensei. Why?"

"I have that class third period, you could have a copy of my notes if you want," Atemu suggested, before he could stop himself.

Yugi's purple eyes lit up gratefully as though Atemu had just offered him one of his kidneys or something.

"Really?" Yugi breathed, looking extremely relieved.

"Ah, sure, I can give you them tomorrow," Atemu replied.

"That would be really helpful thanks!" Yugi cried so enthusiastically that Atemu couldn't help but smile in return.

"It's nothing," Atemu repeated.

"Oh shit, this is my stop!" Yugi exclaimed. "Can you press the button for me?" Atemu had to reach over Yugi's shoulder to get to the "stop requested" button. "Thanks," said Yugi again. Atemu nodded in acknowledgment.

"Brace yourself," Atemu warned, grabbing on the bar above his head. Yugi nodded and tightened his grip on the handrail. The bus buckled to a halt, people were thrust forward clumsily.

"Oops, I have to get to the door," said Yugi. "Thanks again, Atemu, see you at school!" he called behind him as his red and black hair disappeared into the crowd.

Atemu heard the front doors hiss open before he remembered that he was still holding one of Yugi's books.

"Crap," he groaned and dived through the crowd, muttering rushed "excuse me"s as he pushed people out of his way. The second he jumped off of the bus, the door creaked shut behind him. He sighed in frustration and then ran off after Yugi who was almost a block away from him now.

"Hey!" Atemu cried, running.

Yugi turned and looked surprised as Atemu caught up to him.

"…oh, hello again. Do you live around here?" Yugi asked curiously.

"Ah… no. I forgot to give you your book back," Atemu muttered grudgingly, trying to cover his embarrassment.

"Thanks! Guess I'm in your debt now. I'm sorry, I put you through the trouble," Yugi apologized. "I guess you missed the bus, huh?"

Atemu shrugged. "It's fine," he answered automatically.

Yugi bit his lip; the student looked guilty. "You want to… um, come to my house?" he suggested. "I'll get you something to drink if you want or we could exchange math notes or something." Atemu paused and then looked back at the bus stop. The next bus, if it came on time, would be in fifteen minutes; Atemu had some time to kill.

Besides, this gave him the chance to investigate Yugi more thoroughly.

"Sure," Atemu answered with a shrug.

Yugi grinned. "Cool. Come on, its right across the street," he urged and began to walk. Atemu walked slowly behind him, still carrying Yugi's book under his arm.

"So, which is your house?" Atemu asked looking around.

"You see that yellow and green building over there? That's it," Yugi answered, nodding his head in the direction. Atemu's mouth fell open.

"The one with 'Game' printed in large yellow letters?" Atemu asked, slightly stunned.

"Yeah," Yugi answered.

"You live in a _game_ shop?" Atemu gaped. Even he had to admit, that was pretty awesome.

Yugi grinned. "Yeah, my grandpa owns it." The two of them approached the front door. "Um…" Yugi stared at the doorknob then down at his hands full of books and paper.

"I'll get it," Atemu insisted and he opened the door and then held it open for Yugi.

"Thanks… I'm home!" Yugi cried as he awkwardly kicked off his shoes. An old man with spiky gray hair and overalls waved at them from behind the counter.

"Welcome home! Ho! Who's your friend?" the old man asked, straightening out some boxes on a shelf.

Atemu was more shocked than he should have been at the word "friend".

"Ji-chan, this is Atemu. Atemu this is my Grandpa," Yugi introduced but Atemu was too busy looking at all the games on the shelves to pay much attention.

"Do you like games, Atemu?" the old man asked, a knowledgeable twinkle in his eye.

"I dabble," Atemu admitted, eyes widening as he circled the room. "This is… amazing."

"Isn't it? I built this store with my own two hands," Ji-chan said proudly, puffing out his chest. "Well, not really, I bought the building off some guy who was using it as a hardware store, but I was the one who turned it into a game shop in the first place. And let me tell you, it was a complete wreck when I got my hands on it. Wall boards and ceiling panels coming off all over the place and-"

"Ji-chan! My arms are hurt! I need to put these books down!" Yugi complained.

"Well, excuse me if an old man isn't allow to reminisce about his younger days," the old man muttered stubbornly.

"I'll show you upstairs," Yugi offered and then rushed up the steps, Atemu stumbling after him. Yugi skidded down the short hallway and then turned a corner into what looked like his room. Yugi threw books and paper down on his bed, shaking the circulation back into his sore arms. "Ah… that's better."

"_Goddammit_!!" an angry voice cried from the next room, followed by the sound of various objects being thrown.

"What was that?" Atemu questioned warily, throwing the book he was holding onto the pile with the others.

"Oh, that's just Bakura." Yugi shrugged casually, looking unconcerned.

"Yugi!" A bolt of bronze skin and a head of brilliant white hair jumped into the doorway. Atemu stared transfixed at a teenager who looked about his own age with dark violet eyes. "Where in _Hell_ is that fucking remote!?" he snapped nastily.

"Did you check under the couch?" Yugi suggested mildly, scratching his head in thought.

The teenager, Bakura, paused thinking. "No…" And with that, he dashed into the other room without so much as a thank you.

"Who is he?" Atemu asked, very confused. "Does he live here or something?"

"Um, yes, he's my cousin," Yugi explained. Atemu's confusion must have showed because Yugi added, "Um… second cousin."

"Ah," Atemu affirmed.

The rude cousin let out a groan of frustration. "Where the hell is it!?" Bakura screamed. More objects were being thrown.

Yugi sighed. "Hold on," he said to Atemu and then he walked down the hall to the living room that Bakura was tearing ruthlessly apart. Atemu followed curiously. Yugi walked over to the couch, reached in between the cushions, and pulled out the black remote. "I found it," Yugi announced and tossed the remote lazily at his second cousin's head.

Bakura caught it, without one word of gratitude and slopped down on the couch, greedily turning the TV on. Yugi rolled his eyes and exited the room, Atemu following cautiously after him.

"Is he always like that?" Atemu asked.

"Oh yeah, don't let it fool you though," said Yugi knowledgeably with a grin, lowering his voice to make sure Bakura couldn't over hear. "Under all that he really is a nice guy. Just don't let him know that I told you that or he'll kill me."

Atemu chuckled, because that remark was supposed to be comical.

If there was one thing that he knew for certain, it was that he liked Yugi a lot more than Bakura.

…)(-)-(Observation)-(-)(…

"Bye!" Yugi cried and waved to Atemu as he finally exited the game shop to go home at five o'clock. He and Atemu had been having such a good time, comparing math notes and not comparing math notes, that the time had just flown by. Atemu reached the other side of the street and sent Yugi a small wave before boarding onto the bus. Yugi smiled as he closed the door.

'That was nice. I haven't actually sat down and just talked with someone in a while. It's not like Bakura can actually hold a conversation,' Yugi thought. As soon as the front door clicked shut though, a mass of bronze and white appeared at his side.

Yugi jumped. "Bakura-kun!" he exclaimed. "You scared me."

"What the hell was that?" Bakura demanded fiercely, dark violet eyes growing narrower by the second.

"That was Atemu," Yugi answered simply. "I'm surprised you even noticed he was here."

Bakura's eyebrow twitched. "And what was it doing in our house?"

"_He_ is my friend and he helped carry my books home. He missed his bus because of me so I got him something to drink, no big deal," Yugi explained moving passed Bakura into the kitchen

"He stayed an awfully long time to get something to drink," Bakura drawled suspiciously.

"We were talking. Shouldn't you be upstairs watching TV or something?" Yugi questioned defensively. "You might be missing your soap operas."

Bakura scowled irritably. "You sure it's safe to bring a human into our house? What if Kaiba suddenly decided to appear and give you a progress report, huh?" Bakura growled, following Yugi scrupulously.

"Kaiba has the courtesy to give me a warning before he arrives," Yugi answered.

"You know what I mean!" Bakura hissed angrily. "If anything suspicious or magical happened, how were you going to explain it?"

"Why are you pushing this?" Yugi asked, moving away. "Since when have you cared about keeping our cover?"

Bakura snarled. "This would be the ideal place for a demon to infiltrate once he finds out who you really are."

"Atemu's not a demon!" Yugi snapped.

"He could be!" Bakura spat back nastily. To Yugi's surprise he suddenly looked serious. "He has a _very_ high amount of spiritual energy, Yugi! But you wouldn't know that, would you? You didn't even bother to check with me before bringing him in here!" Yugi gulped and looked shamefully at his feet. Bakura sighed and rolled his eyes, turning away. "Sorry, I shouldn't speak that way to my _superior_," Bakura scoffed coldly.

"No, that was advice from a friend, you have every right," Yugi corrected kindly. "I'm sorry, I'll be more careful next time." Bakura snorted and then stormed up the stairs without another word.

Yugi stood there for a few seconds, shame burning in his gut. He sat down at the table and then rested his chin on his hand, staring miserably out into space.

One way or another Bakura was right. Normally Yugi wouldn't have taken a risk like that on a mission this important. So why had he done it? Did he feel bad about almost exposing himself during their first meeting?

"What am I doing?" he wondered softly to himself and the empty kitchen.

* * *

…)(-)-(Observation)-(-)(…

* * *

You know what I find is neat? How haughtily and hotly sound almost exactly the same, yet haughtily better describes Kaiba and hotly better describes Jounouchi. Neat, right?

I fucking love crazy Ryou. He's far more interesting than has-a-back-bone Ryou (seen in HINAFTYCC and A Means of Communication). Or naïve ignorant Ryou (seen in Padded Cells (the real Ryou in my opinion)). Or even super-freaking-smart Ryou (seen in Empathy (yet to be posted)). This is the craziest Ryou I ever written. This is also the most tolerant Bakura I have ever written. Surprising since he also curses more than any other Bakura. Ew. Who's ever heard of a tolerant Bakura?

Yugi is a sweetie. I love that guy. He and Atemu should get married. Eventually, you know, after college, when they get their lives together and have a career and an income and important stuff like that. Maturity does horrible things to one's fantasies.

NEXT CHAPTER: Malik finds being alone with Bakura for several hours lacks a lot of perks. Ryou's getting headaches. Bakura is forced to show (GASP) compassion, well, fake insincere compassion. The rivalry between Kaiba and Jounouchi escalates and causes Jounouchi to scheme.


	4. Calculation

I invented a new word: Ablazing. Makes sense to me. Take that society! Same thing with mumblings.

I'm hating " f f . n e t "right now. _Somehow_ the title of my last chapter was _deleted_. (grrrrr…) Thank the lords of Fish Sticks above that I found the problem and righted it.

I was sitting by myself in my room and I thought… "Hmmm… maybe its time for another chapter?" So let it be done.

**

* * *

**

**Chyaputa 3: Calculation**

1. The act, process, or result of calculating. An estimate based on probabilities.

2. Careful, often cunning estimation and planning of likely outcomes, especially to advance one's own interests.

* * *

Jounouchi had developed a bad habit of sitting in the desk right next to Kaiba, in every class, _every_ day. He had plenty of opportunity seeing as no one else dared to come close to _the bastard_. But Kaiba had completely fazed him out by now. Every time the blonde sat down, Kaiba ignored him. This allowed Jounouchi to keep a close eye on the cold brunette, not that it did him any good, Kaiba hardly did anything suspicious during class except every once in a while when he shot death glares over the top of his preppy reading book at Jounouchi. 

"Now class, let's give you all something to think about over the weekend," the science teacher explained. She had a habit of putting too much makeup on, which made her look pretty scary. "You're all going to start your quarter projects today on the human system of your choice," the teacher instructed. Students all around the room groaned loudly. "Come on now, it's not that bad. Here, I'll let you all chose your own partners."

"Partners, Kiroi-sensei?" one of the students questioned, Jounouchi thought his name was Otogi. He had seen the human striding through the halls, always surrounded by groups of giggling females, constantly flipping his long black hair. Jounouchi didn't particularly like him. The guy was too much of a show off.

"Of course, you'll be doing this assignment in groups of two," the teacher explained sweetly. More groans from the students. "I don't want to hear it. Now pair up all of you." The students reluctantly got up and started calling to each other from across the room.

Jounouchi and Kaiba remained seated. Jounouchi eyed the class warily and then _suddenly_ a brilliant idea popped into his head. He sat up and counted the class, there was an even number, so no matter what _everyone_ had to pair up with _someone_. Jounouchi grinned.

"Hey Jounouchi!" a voice called. A tall teenager with way too much gel in his brown hair stepped out of the crowd and made his way toward the blonde.

Jounouchi winced, an unforeseen wrinkle in his scheme.

"Hey, Honda," Jounouchi greeted unenthusiastically. He had met Honda a few days before in gym class. He was pretty cool, for a human, and on normal circumstances Jounouchi would have liked to have him as a partner, but right now Jounouchi had other plans.

"Do you wanna be partners?" Honda asked. Jounouchi paused; he didn't want to hurt Honda's feelings.

"Um, sorry, Honda. I'm already partners with… someone," Jounouchi lied nervously.

Honda looked disappointed. "Oh. Who?" he asked.

Jounouchi hesitated. "Um…" He lowered his voice so only Honda could hear. "Kaiba."

Honda looked horrified. "You're partners with _Kaiba_?" he exclaimed loudly. Half the class turned to stare at them.

Jounouchi gritted his teeth in a painful smile.

Kaiba snorted in disgust. "You certainly are not."

Jounouchi turned his glare onto the stuck up brunette. "You see anyone else around here, bastard?" he spat.

"Certainly, that guy right in front of you," said Kaiba. His ice blue eyes snapped onto Honda's defenseless form. "You need a partner?"

"Oh _god_ no!" Honda practically shrieked and ran back into the crowd. Jounouchi couldn't help but laugh. Kaiba looked utterly furious.

"Looks as though everyone has selected a partner, now all you have to do is choose a system," the teacher instructed. The students doubled up and began talking amongst themselves; it looked as though Honda had been rescued by the pretty boy Otogi at the last second. Jounouchi turned to Kaiba.

"So what system should we do?" Jounouchi asked, and he couldn't help be feel a little smug. Kaiba targeted the blonde with such a fierce deathly glare that Jounouchi swore he had stopped breathing.

"We?" Kaiba's mouth was set in a sneer, an insane glint shinning in his eyes. "There will be no _we_. I will select a system then I will do the work, _alone_."

"Wait a second," Jounouchi interrupted. "If you do all the work how am I going to get any credit?"

Kaiba gave Jounouchi a cruel smirk. "You should have thought about that before you became partners with me," he spat, eyes flashing maliciously. The bastard looked positively evil.

"That's an entire semester grade! You can't do that to me!" Jounouchi hissed, trying not to draw the teacher's attention.

Kaiba scoffed, staring at Jounouchi with eyes that could freeze blood.

"I suggest you work harder on your other subjects then," Kaiba added smugness. "You wouldn't want you to fail out of school, would you?"

Jounouchi's hands were gripping the desk. It was taking all self-control not to let his demon strength break the thing in half. Had that been a threat?

"What the fuck is your problem?" Jounouchi barked furious. Kaiba's loftiness disappeared in a split second only to be replaced by pure hatred.

"Leave me alone, _pest_," he spat. The bell rang and with surprising speed Kaiba stood up from his seat and was out the door before the demon could even find his voice again.

Jounouchi was mad. Passed mad. Pissed mad. Who the fuck did this bastard think he was?!

An angel that's what. And Jounouchi was going to expose this freak if it was the last thing he'd do. And then he'd laugh. A lot.

…)(-)-(Calculation)-(-)(…

Malik should have realized the moment he heard the name that it was going to be a crappy movie. Who called something, "Exploding Robot Planet of Doom" anyway? Creativity anyone?

It had no short of special effects. No way. In fact the whole thing was practically a special effects showcase. Who needed useless things like plot or character development when they had a nuclear plant explosion every ten minutes?

On the other hand, bad movies can give one the opportunity to do important things like examine ceiling tiles, pick dirt out from under one's fingernails or say… pay more attention to person sitting next to you.

The couple, two rows behind Malik and Bakura had gotten that idea, but Bakura sure hadn't. He stared continuously at the bright flashing screen; eyes half lidded in, what must have been boredom. Not that Malik had anticipated much… _action_ during the movie, considering Bakura seemingly indifferent approach to everything but Malik was allowed to hope, wasn't he?

This was it, after all. The moment he had been longing for since he had first laid eyes on that delicious slab of hot roasting teenager. Sure Bakura had acted extremely cold to him at first, Malik had almost believed that Bakura didn't like him or, more likely, that he was straight, but then Bakura had actually asked _him_ out on a date! A _date_! Malik had skipped all the way home singing at the top of his lungs that day.

Now, however, he just felt sick.

This movie was awful. Bakura was not enjoying himself. Was Bakura punishing Malik for picking such a craptastic movie? Did he loathe being in his presence so much that he would sneak out during the movie and leave Malik on their very first date?

'Maybe… he just needs a little push…?'

Malik took another deep breath, pulse rushing and carefully placed his arm on the armrest right next to Bakura's. For a split second, Malik's bare skin was touching Bakura's bronze flesh. Malik could have melted, if that movement hadn't gotten Bakura's attention.

He looked down at the arm, which had somehow sneaked onto his precious armrest and then shoved Malik's appendage away and turned back to the movie.

Malik gaped in shock. 'I don't believe this!' Malik fell back into his seat exasperatingly. He eyed Bakura's arm longingly again. Maybe just one more time… Malik put his arm back on the armrest. Bakura gave him another nasty glare.

"Quit touching me!" he spat and shoved Malik's arm away again.

'What the hell!?' Malik screamed in his head, crossing both his arms over his chest. Malik didn't understand; what had he done wrong? Was Bakura playing hard to get? If so, it was getting really old real fast.

Fifteen minutes passed, a robot army was still marching through the streets looking for the hero, blowing things up unnecessarily as they went.

Malik was starting to feel quite pathetic. 'Maybe I should apologize…'

'Apologize! He's the one who's acting like a jerk!' his little voice cried.

'If it will help the situation, I don't care!' Malik argued back. He groaned and then turned to Bakura.

"Bakura I…" he whispered but paused. Bakura wasn't moving, in fact it seemed as though he had fallen asleep, eyes closed, mouth slightly open and snoring softly. Malik threw himself back into his seat once more and glared hatefully at hideous movie in front of him.

So much for a date.

…)(-)-(Calculation)-(-)(…

Yugi had just about finished his homework when Bakura walked into the living room and collapsed on his usual spot on the couch.

Yugi stared at him expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what?" Bakura groaned bitterly. He was still a little groggy from when he had fallen asleep during the movie.

"How did it go?" Yugi asked. Bakura scoffed.

"Malik's _not_ a demon," Bakura answered. He had dug through every last fiber of Malik's human existence and found nothing demon-like about it. If Malik hadn't been trying to steal his armrest halfway through his search he might have completed his scan sooner.

Yugi shrugged. "At least that narrows it down."

Bakura rolled his eyes tiredly. "Oh yes, now I've only got fifty more humans to go," Bakura drawled sarcastically. "Did you tape my show?"

"Yeah, just rewind an hour," Yugi instructed. Bakura picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

At that exact moment there was a loud unearthly snap and with a flash of dark blue light Kaiba appeared in the middle of the room, his violet trench coat rippling. Bakura didn't even flinch; he had gotten used to Kaiba's unexpected and sudden appearances by now.

"What have you found?" Yugi asked Kaiba politely, turning in his chair to face the Principality. Kaiba tossed Yugi a CD. Yugi caught it.

"Here's a list of all the people who came to Domino with unexplained or suspicious backgrounds who have a connection to the school. I think it would be wise to start there."

"Demons would be smart enough not to leave something that obvious," Bakura stated sharply, fixated on his television screen. "And if the demons have spent their entire human lives here guarding this thing, they would have permanent stations like you," he challenged.

"According to the report by to the Council, the appearance of the pure energy is very recent so the demons guarding it would have had to come down about the same time as us," Kaiba explained logically. Yugi nodded in understanding beside him. Bakura scowled.

"I don't need you making my job more complicated," Bakura growled. "If I'm not mistaken, I was the one put in charge of finding these demons, not you."

"And can I see how hard you're working on that," Kaiba drawled coldly, observing the television.

Bakura sat up, eyes flashing dangerously. "_T__his_ is research."

Kaiba's mouth twitched into a cold smirk. "I'm sure it is."

"Don't patronize me, Soiled One," Bakura spat, standing up threateningly. "I've just spent the last two and a half hours searching a human."

"As opposed to the five hours I spent making that list," Kaiba counted.

"That's nice words coming from a demon-_fucker_, you Fallen freak-" Bakura began.

"Hey! Stop it!" Yugi commanded, getting up from his chair and standing between his two subordinates. "Come on guys, you two can't get in an argument every time you get in the same room together or we'll never get anything done. Bakura." Yugi turned to his white haired friend and tossed him the CD.

Bakura caught it reluctantly, still glaring at Kaiba over Yugi's head.

"Take this list and cross reference it with your own. The names that fit both profiles will be your top priority, okay?"

Bakura grunted, shot one last angry look at Kaiba and then fell back down on the couch.

"Kaiba, continue to keep an eye on the human information network and notify us when any suspicious incidents happen. The demons are sure to slip up sometime," Yugi requested.

Kaiba nodded stiffly, turned on his heel and then disappeared again with another loud snap and flash of light.

"What was that? What's happening up there boys?" Ji-chan shouted from down inside the shop.

"Nothing, Ji-chan! Just watching TV!" Yugi shouted back hastily.

"Alright," the old man answered uneasily.

…)(-)-(Calculation)-(-)(…

At the sound of Atemu's soft sock-covered footfalls, Ryou peered over the top of his book to find his long-time friend tiptoeing passed the living room.

"Going somewhere?" Ryou asked curiously. Atemu froze; he had gotten caught halfway through putting on his coat, his arm still stuck in the sleeve. He turned and spotted Ryou sitting pleasantly cross-legged on the couch.

"I'm… meeting someone," said Atemu vaguely, concentrating on his coat.

"Who?" Ryou asked. Atemu hesitated. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Atemu was not looking at Ryou. "It's nothing, not really worth mentioning. Just this guy from school, ah… I think his name is Yugi," he explained awkwardly fiddling with his scarf, his fingers quaking.

Ryou blinked. "Mutou Yugi?"

Atemu dropped the scarf, startled. "You know him?"

Ryou caught Atemu's stare and saw a familiar, round smiling face behind his friend's red eyes.

"Yeah, he's in my English Language class," Ryou explained.

"Oh." Atemu picked up the scarf, avoiding his friend's gaze again.

"Where are you two going?" Ryou asked politely, even though he already knew.

"Ah, the arcade. We're meeting some people there," Atemu answered casually.

"Are you investigating him?" Ryou questioned, more seriously. Atemu opened his mouth to respond then closed it again. He looked down to brush some lint off his coat but Ryou knew the answer was no.

"Why do you ask?" Atemu questioned.

"I was just wondering if I should keep an eye on him during class," Ryou answered. "Since I usually sit next to him."

"Oh, you don't have to," Atemu insisted, immediately brushing the offer aside. "I can handle it. Like I said it's probably nothing anyway."

"But you said that…" Ryou began.

"I'm really only going cause he asked me, well, to make sure that he isn't, I don't really think he is, of course, I'm just taking the opportunity to make sure that he's not," Atemu explained, putting on his shoes in the entryway.

Ryou shrugged. "Ok… well, have a good time," and turning back to his book, Ryou gave Atemu his silent permission to go. Atemu mumbled a short 'goodbye' before he walked out the door.

When he was alone again, Ryou rumbled his temples. An ache had sprung up between his eyes. That had been odd. How had he known the answer before he asked Atemu the question?

'I'm imagining things,' Ryou told himself, disregarding the strangeness.

…)(-)-(Calculation)-(-)(…

Autumn had finally settled, and the temperature had dropped significantly since the first month of school. The wind blew even more harshly, sending large amounts of leaves flying off the trees.

By the time Atemu arrived at the arcade, the sun was just about to set. He entered the loud and dimly lit game room to find Yugi at a fighting machine, punching the little plastic buttons furiously. On the controls next to him was a brunette Atemu recognized as Honda, and watching them both was a black-haired pretty boy Atemu didn't know.

Yugi's whole face was screwed up in concentration, his purple eyes narrowed in seriousness as he beat his opponent senseless. It looked like he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Atemu chuckled. Yugi was so strange. He seemed like such a normal, cheerful kid but… The amused smile died suddenly on Atemu's lips. There was something, odd about him, well not exactly odd, just different. When Atemu first met him it seemed as though Yugi was as simple as his cheerful smile. But when Atemu had talked to Yugi in the Kame Game Shop that day, he thought he had seen something else, something…

Did that mean Yugi and Atemu were alike?

Honda suddenly let out a cry and the machine he and Yugi were playing made a loud sound, followed by the logo "Player 1 Wins". Yugi cheered, took his hands off the controls, then suddenly spotted Atemu across the room.

"Hey," Yugi called and beckoned him to come over, a brilliant smile on his face, as usual. Atemu gave a short wave and walked up to him. "Guys, this is Atemu. Atemu, this is Honda and Otogi," Yugi introduced.

"Your Jounouchi's friend, right?" Honda said. Atemu nodded.

"Atemu's really good at games," Yugi announced.

"Better than you?" Otogi challenged.

Yugi grinned sheepishly. "I don't know," he admitted and then turned to Atemu. "You wanna play against me?"

"But I've never tried this game before," Atemu pointed out logically. "Wouldn't you have an unfair advantage?"

Yugi shrugged. "You'll pick it up," he insisted with a grin.

"Go on," Honda urged excitedly. "I want to see two game masters going at it!"

"You just don't want to play against Yugi again," Otogi commented slyly.

"Quiet you!" Honda ordered playfully, messing up Otogi's perfect black hair.

"Ok, ok, I'll play," Atemu conceded.

Yugi grinned. "Awesome!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out four coins, inserting them into the fighting machine.

"Where's Jounouchi? You told him we'd be here right, Yugi?" Otogi wondered, looking around.

"I talked to him," Yugi admitted as both he and Atemu stepped up to the controls. "But he said he was busy. Said he had to do research or something."

"Jounouchi? Actually doing work!?" Honda laughed loudly. "Now _that's_ funny!"

"Maybe he just needed the right motivation?" Atemu suggested. Yugi shrugged. The screen came up for them to select a fighter. Honda and Otogi commented loudly behind them, trying to give Atemu advice on who to choose.

"You don't want that guy, he's totally weak," said Honda.

"He looks fast," Atemu said. Honda shrugged.

"Well, yeah he's fast but his punches do like no damage at all," Honda admitted.

"But it doesn't do any good to have strength if you never hit anything," Atemu said, selecting his character.

"That's what I kept telling him," Yugi whispered to Atemu, smirking at Honda. "But would you listen to me? No." Honda grumbled darkly under his breath as Yugi and Atemu exchanged grins.

Atemu lost the first match, of course, but it was soon followed by another round and then another and by the time of the third round Atemu had pretty much gotten the hand of it. He just barely beat Yugi in the fourth round and Honda and Otogi cheered.

"Yeah Atemu! You did it!" Honda cried, pounding Atemu on the shoulder, almost like Jounouchi would if he were there.

"Yeah, thanks guys," Yugi pouted.

"Aw, we're just teasing you," Otogi taunted, patting Yugi on the head and squishing his spiky red and black hair.

"Come on, let's play again," Atemu urged.

"Alright, but this time I'm going at full power," Yugi warned him seriously. Atemu grinned.

"I'm sure you will," Atemu said, catching Yugi's eye. Their gazes locked for a split second then they both grinned at each other and then turned back to the game. For some reason, Atemu felt more excited, he couldn't really explain why.

There was no way Yugi could be an angel. There was just no way.

…)(-)-(Calculation)-(-)(…

The human educational system was flawed. A building full of incompetent simpletons teaching other incompetent simpletons obsolete and barbaric concepts; it was a cycle preordained to fail. The whole thing was obnoxious. Kaiba had enough experience dealing with the mortals' inept and clumsy nature at the human company he managed. Now, thanks to the Council, he was forced to indulge in their educational system as well.

'I would be more productive if I stayed at the company. Keeping a watch there instead of at this idiotic school,' Kaiba thought to himself for the hundredth time. However, Yugi had given him orders to stay in the school and observe, and orders were always followed.

Kaiba could hear one particularly annoying, golden-haired imbecile approaching. The sound of his overly loud, aggravating voice and excessive stomping of his feet carried all the way down the hall. Kaiba scowled. He had heard his approach many times before and now had learned to expect it. The idiot tracked his every move nowadays, like a dog.

Kaiba folded his book closed. If he moved now the idiot would never find him. The stomping grew louder. Kaiba glanced down at his briefcase. All he needed to do was slip silently out the door and he would successfully avoid another useless, annoying conversation.

Minutes passed. Kaiba scrutinized the doorway the idiot would soon appear from any moment now with his usual irritating, uncontrolled, over exaggerating manner.

Kaiba could move. He should. It would be so simple.

At the last second, when the idiot's footsteps could be heard right outside the doorway, Kaiba flipped his book back open and began to read as though he had been doing so uninterrupted for the last hour. The footsteps stopped and sure enough, there he was, standing in the doorway.

The idiot must have been in a rush because he walked straight up to Kaiba's desk and before he even had a chance to look up, a load of books were dropped spontaneously into Kaiba's field of vision. Kaiba glared down at the books and back up at Jounouchi.

"Yes?" Kaiba questioned, voice obviously carrying a threat.

"I did research," the idiot announced stubbornly. "But since you never told me which system we're doing I couldn't very well research only one, now could I?"

"You researched?" Kaiba repeated blankly. The idiot frowned angrily, flicking golden bangs out of his chocolate eyes.

"Yeah, I _did_," the blonde insisted testily with teeth clenched. Very immature, Kaiba noted.

"You went to a library?" Kaiba questioned again, more blandly.

"Yes, I went to a library. Is that so hard to comprehend?" the idiot growled.

Kaiba snorted and then turned back to his book without another word. Why was he bothering to converse with this trash?

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaiba watched as the idiot crossed his arms over his chest, tapping his foot irritably. "Well?"

"Well?" Kaiba returned mildly, unwavering stare concentrating steadily on the page before him.

"Are you going to _use_ any of these?" the blonde questioned in a strained manner. He must have been trying very hard to suppress his anger.

"I've already finished the assignment," Kaiba answered smoothly.

The idiot's mouth comically dropped open and his arms went slack. "But- but it's not due for another two weeks!" the idiot gaped.

"I have better things to do than work on useless school assignments," Kaiba said coldly, turning another page.

"I spent my _whole_ Sunday doing this," the blonde idiot snapped.

Kaiba smirked. "An entire day working on a project and all you could accomplish was some second-hand reference materials?"

The idiot's face flushed. "_These_ are prime resources, I promise you. Can't you just quote one of my books or something?"

"Then I would have to go through the trouble of adding something else into my report and it's already perfect," Kaiba stated, tone cool and indifferent.

The idiot was trembling with rage now, his fingers writhing.

"What the fuck is _wrong_ with you?" he snarled. Kaiba closed his book and he glared at the imbecile with disgust.

"I'm not the one who incessantly stalks people," Kaiba commented, attitude switching from detached to fierce in a second.

The idiot got angrier. "We're partners! I need some input into this project or I won't get any credit!"

"And who's fault is it that we're partners in the first place?" Kaiba sneered ruthlessly.

For a second the idiot actually seemed to shrink back as if Kaiba had finally won but then he bounced back, even more furious than ever.

"Well, excuse me for trying to be _social_," Jounouchi snarled sarcastically. "I'm sorry if having a giant fucking stick up your ass makes it hard for you to interact with people! Forgive me for invading upon your school image of being a stuck up, loner _jackass_!"

His voice was harsh but his bitter words and insults crashed into Kaiba's stony impenetrable expression without so much as making a dent. Kaiba could feel the indignant heat coming off the blonde's face.

"You know what? Fine. Fucking fine. Go ahead. Fail me! Anything is better than trying to work with a pompous _fucking_ _bastard_!" And then Kaiba watched the idiot stomp childishly out of the classroom.

The room was silenced. Kaiba inhaled through his nose, glaring at the blonde idiot's exit. An eyebrow twitched although his face remained wiped clean of all expression. Kaiba found an emotion hotter than irritation burning in his chest. How had that idiot made his gut tense? How could this human, this worthless trash threaten him? He was not intimidated by such little things.

Kaiba was too agitated too read. He would probably go to his next class early, just for a change of scenery.

As he turned to leave his eyes glazed over some of the book covers on his desk left by the obnoxious blond. Dryly amused, Kaiba scoffed, running a finger down one of the book's spines. Some of the volumes looked like they wouldn't have been totally useless, if Kaiba had needed them, which he didn't. Kaiba doubted Jounouchi had actually spent the entirety of Sunday working on this, but perhaps he was overestimating his golden-haired abilities.

Kaiba snorted. "Idiot."

…)(-)-(Calculation)-(-)(…

Bakura's dark violet eyes ran down the list Kaiba had given him, mouth set in a frown.

How the hell was he supposed to find these people? It wasn't as though the humans wore their names ablazing upon their sweaty foreheads. For his own personal list Bakura had written down short labels for the ones he sensed had the most power. But phrases like "square-nosed-female" and "funny-smelling -male" didn't exactly jump out at him from Kaiba's list.

"Useless junk…" he grumbled darkly.

"Hey," a familiar voice spoke surprising close to his shoulder. Bakura spun around to see Malik standing there, expectantly annoying. "Whatcha looking at?" the copper-skinned teen asked curiously, eyeing the paper in Bakura's hands.

Bakura scowled and stuffed the list into his pocket. "Nothing." Malik took a step back, his eyes wandering off to the side.

"Sorry," Malik muttered, voice brittle.

Bakura frowned. Every since they had gone to see that movie Malik had been acting weird. Not that he hadn't been weird enough to begin with but recently it was as though Malik had lost his energy. The silence was actually an improvement in Bakura's opinion.

'At least he doesn't tackle me anymore,' Bakura thought.

"Um, Bakura…" Malik began with the tone of one announcing that someone had just died. "I've been thinking about that night when we…"

There. Bakura's head snapped around. A spot of white in a sea of blue and pink uniforms. He was standing by the water fountain, large brown eyes glancing down at his watch, as he made his way down the hall.

"Who's that?" Bakura interrupted.

Malik faltered, face looking slightly hurt but turned to where Bakura was pointing.

"Oh that's Ryou. We've met him, remember?" said Malik.

Bakura squinted at the pale teen across the hall.

"In the stairwell, first day of school, it was raining…" Malik prompted.

"Sure," Bakura said dismissively. He didn't remember the situation at all, although the name caught his attention. He reached into his pocket and pulled out Kaiba's list. Ryou's name was near the top.

Looks like he was going to be up for another movie tonight. Bakura stuffed the list back into his pocket with purpose.

"Are you going to ask him out?" Malik asked suddenly, his eyes wide, something painful glowing within them. Bakura turned and gave Malik a questioningly look, he had almost forgotten the human was there.

"I'll have to," Bakura admitted.

Malik's face fell. "Is that why you went out with me? Only because you had to?" he asked, voice tight.

Now Bakura was even more confused. What the hell did Malik want from him anyway? Couldn't he be annoying some place else?

"I've heard rumors that you've been going out with a new person each night," Malik's gaze was nailed to Bakura's shoes, voice very small. "I didn't want to believe it but I guess it's true."

"Yeah, so?" Bakura questioned fiercely. He had been asking students to the movies ever since the first week of school. Although some of the human students, mostly males for some reason, had turned him down, giving him weird looks as they walked away. It wasn't as though he _hadn't_ been trying to find the demons, but until he found another solution, bringing humans individually to the movies and scanning them there was the best solution. Besides there were a lot of students in the school and he had to get through them all as soon as possible.

"It isn't normal!" Malik explained, voice rising painfully, squeaking as it did so. "What are you doing, an escort service or something? Is that why you have that weird list?" Malik snapped. Some of the students passing by were starting to stare. Bakura faltered. It was one thing if Malik knew what he was doing; it was another if the entire school did.

Bakura grabbed Malik by the shoulders and pulled him off to the side, hissing, "Be quiet, damn you!" He let go of Malik in a corner, eyes shifting around to the stream of students going off to lunch. Why the hell was Malik acting so strange?

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Bakura growled.

"I didn't think you cared," Malik muttered darkly, lilac eyes glaring at the floor. Bakura lifted an eyebrow in surprise. Since when did Malik get angry? Maybe it had something to do with crazy teenage mating hormones; Bakura had seen stuff about that on the TV. There was something about humans at this time in their lifecycle that made them act funny, the whole process of changing from a youngling into an adult put stress on their lives or something.

"Stop it," Bakura snapped.

Malik look up bewildered. "Stop what?" the unstable human asked skeptically.

"Stop acting weird," Bakura ordered sharply.

"Since when have you noticed?" Malik snapped.

Bakura scowled. "Oh, I've noticed," he growled frustratingly, looking straight into Malik's face. Maybe glaring at the mortal some more would get him to stop acting so weird.

Malik's eyes grew very wide. His tense body deflated. "You've… _noticed_?" the mortal asked, not looking away, it was almost unnerving. What the hell was Malik getting at?

"Yeah," Bakura stated obviously and lifted his hands from Malik's shoulders. "So stop it. It's more annoying than the way you used to be."

Malik dropped his head in shame. "You thought I was annoying?" he asked miserably.

"You're worse now," Bakura pointed out truthfully.

Malik's head snapped up, a hopeful light glowing his pale violet eyes. "Oh, I see. So you _liked_ me better before?"

Bakura groaned and turned away, scowling. "Sure," he growled angrily, hands stuffed moodily into his pockets.

"Wait Bakura!" Malik cried running frantically after his white haired friend, his former energy suddenly revived. "Bakura!"

Bakura's scowl deepened and he walked faster. 'I just _had_ to talk to him, didn't I?' he growled silently to himself. 'I could have had a quiet human following me around but no, I had to go make him _feel_ better. Damn adolescent human functions…'

"Hold on, Bakura!" Malik cried, grabbing his shoulder. "Slow down!"

And Bakura did because he had stopped. He had spotted him again. That white-haired human was standing at the lockers, talking to Yugi of all people.

"Stop it," Bakura ordered Malik fiercely, pealing the Egyptian off his clothing.

"What is it?" Malik asked curiously, peering over Bakura's tall shoulder and also noticing Bakura's target. "Oh," Malik gulped and suddenly went silent. Without wasting any time, Bakura walked straight up to Ryou and Yugi.

"Hi Bakura," Yugi greeted. Bakura grunted in return and then turned to Ryou.

"Ah…you," Bakura began. The name escaped him. He had written, "quiet-weird-female/male" on his own list.

"Ryou," Malik put in, coming up beside Bakura.

"Do I know you?" Ryou asked confused, looking between Malik and Bakura.

"We met the first week of school, remember?" Malik reminded him. Ryou blinked his large brown eyes, thinking.

"Not really, sorry," Ryou answered truthfully. Malik sighed and shook his head.

"You free tonight?" Bakura questioned Ryou, utterly ignoring the rest of the conversation going on around him. The white haired teenager blinked again, like a deer deciding if it should move out of the way of an on-coming truck.

"I think so," he answered.

"Want to see a movie?" Bakura asked.

Yugi looked between Bakura and Ryou questioningly.

Ryou shrugged. "Sure. What and when?"

Bakura paused, mind trying to wrap itself around these vague questions. "What?"

"What do you want to see? And when do you want to see it?" Ryou clarified easily.

Yugi gave Malik a look, Malik rolled his eyes and looked back at Bakura.

Bakura stared at Ryou for a few more seconds then scowled. "I don't care," he snapped angrily. "Just show up."

"Around seven?" Ryou suggested.

"Sure," Bakura answered shortly.

"_Well_, while we're here. Hi, I'm Malik," Malik greeted, holding out a hand to Yugi.

"I'm Yugi," Yugi answered, shaking his hand with Malik's, smiling.

His deed done, Bakura was quickly getting bored of this company. "I'm going to lunch," Bakura snapped, turning away and starting briskly off towards the lunchroom again.

"Got to go. Nice to meet you, Yugi. And you again, Ryou," Malik called, running after his fast departing friend, leaving both Yugi and Ryou very confused. "Bakura, slow down! Do you know that guy?" Malik asked, skipping to keep up with Bakura's long strides. "That Yugi kid with the spiky hair? He seemed to know you."

"He's, ah… my cousin," Bakura answered blandly.

Malik frowned in puzzlement, looking back over his shoulder to get a second look. "Your _cousin_?" the human repeated unbelievingly.

"Cousin… once removed," Bakura growled. "I don't want to talk about it."

Malik shrugged and let the matter drop.

…)(-)-(Calculation)-(-)(…

"Good for nothing… fucking bastard…" Jounouchi muttered, taking all his anger and frustration out on his lunch. At the moment, he was savagely tearing up his sandwich and stuffing ripped pieces into his mouth.

His entire Sunday. His entire _freakin' _Sunday wasted at that godforsaken library! So maybe he had had no idea what system he and Kaiba were supposed to be working on but he had tried! He was not going to get a failing grade! He could live with a "C" or even a "D" but if that cold-hearted bastard thought he was going to threaten Jounouchi out of school, he was fucking wrong.

"Dammed jackass," Jounouchi spat, forcing down another helping of rice. What the hell had be been thinking? Partnering up with that bastard. He wasn't learning anything about Kaiba's personal life this way and he was no where close to learning anything about Kaiba's secret life either. That whole class was going to be the death of him. "Dammed fucking asshole…"

Meanwhile Honda, Otogi, Atemu and Yugi were all watching him warily, giving each other odd looks.

"You okay, Jounouchi-kun?" Yugi asked his blonde friend cautiously.

"Stuck up… arrogant asswipe…" Jounouchi grumbled, smashing the rest of the sandwich into mush. "He and that freaking ego inflated head of his…" That fucking angel. That fucking angel.

"Reality to Jounouchi!" Honda cried waving his hand wildly in front of Jounouchi's face. Jounouchi flinched and glared up at him.

"_What_?" Jounouchi snapped angrily.

"No need to bite my head off," Honda said defensively, backing away. Jounouchi groaned.

"I'm sorry, I'm just having a bad week right now," Jounouchi explained, trying to cool himself off. "What are those?" The blonde had just noticed Honda and Otogi were both holding stacks of bright yellow paper and were handing them out to people passing their table. Atemu and Yugi each had one as well but they didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic as Honda and Otogi did.

"If you had been paying attention I wouldn't have to explain it again," Otogi said tirelessly. "My parents are going to America for the week so I'm having a Halloween party on Friday! You know, the unsupervised kind," Otogi announced smoothly, raising his handsome eyebrows suggestively and handing Jounouchi a flyer. "Loud music, dark rooms, hot babes. Everyone's going to be there, you coming?" Otogi asked meaningfully. Honda had disappeared from his friend's side and was currently giving a flyer to a pretty girl at the next table, blushing furiously as he always did around women.

"I'll check my schedule," Jounouchi said dryly.

He didn't have freaking time to go to a stupid human party. He needed discover Kaiba's secret. He needed to trap that bastard-angel. He needed a plan or something. _Anything_.

Jounouchi returned bad-tempered back to his food, squishing each individual vegetable in his rice, still muttering curses under his breath.

"What's up with Jounouchi-kun?" Yugi asked Atemu curiously.

"That rich guy, Kaiba," Otogi answered drearily, twirling a strand of his long black hair on a stray finger.

Yugi coughed, choking on his drink.

"You alright?" Atemu asked concerned, offering Yugi a napkin as the shorter teen fought to clear his airway.

"Oh yeah fine," Yugi insisted, taking the napkin from Atemu. "Thanks. So… ah, who is this, um, what's his name? Kaiba guy?"

"He's Jounouchi's partner for this big project in science class and he's been giving Jounouchi a hard time," Atemu explained.

"A _hard_ time?" Jounouchi spat, glaring hatefully at his food. "Bastard's trying to fail me out of school!"

"That doesn't sound very nice," Yugi commented, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"He's not a very nice guy," Otogi added obviously.

Yugi frowned in puzzlement and then turned back to his food.

At that moment Honda returned to the table but didn't notice where his hand was going because he was too busy looking back at the pretty girl. "Ah shit!" Honda cried suddenly. He had knocked over his soda can and the liquid was now spreading like a flood over the entire table. People jumped away from the spill, leaping from their seats. Jounouchi, who was sitting right next to his friend, unfortunately did not escape in time. Soda had dribbled off the table onto his pants.

"Honda!" Jounouchi exclaimed angrily, jumping up and examining the damage.

"Sorry!" Honda cried hurriedly running off to get more napkins while the rest of the occupants of the table threw their own napkins into the mess.

"You might want to clean that up," Otogi advised lightly, eyeing the area the soda had spilled on Jounouchi's pants. Jounouchi growled, throwing his hands up into the air in frustration.

"_Great_! This day just gets better and _better_!" Jounouchi grumbled, jogging to the corner of the lunchroom to get to the bathroom.

Jounouchi shoved open the bathroom door in his anger and, speak of the devil, metaphorically of course since Kaiba was an angel-about-to-be-exposed, there was the stuck up, cold-hearted bastard himself, washing his stuck up, greasy hands.

His sharp blue eyes glanced up briefly as Jounouchi entered and then darted down as they spotted the soda spill.

"Have a little accident?" the bastard questioned stiffly.

Jounouchi tried to not let his face get too red.

"Oh, you're _hilarious_," he spat acidly, walking over the paper towel dispenser, grabbing a handful and began trying to fix the spot on his pants. "For your information, not that I need to explain anything to _you_, it's soda," Jounouchi spat.

The bastard turned back to the sink and, to Jounouchi's surprise, didn't retort. Silence followed. The bastard was taking an awfully long time to wash his hands, maybe he always did, rich bastards like him being all cleanly and anal.

'So? I don't care. This is a public bathroom, he can do what he wants and I'm certainly not leaving first,' Jounouchi thought angrily. The water was shut off and there was a movement to Jounouchi's left. The blonde looked up to see Kaiba's outstretched hand facing toward him, dripping water onto the bathroom floor.

"What? You want me to shake it?" Jounouchi spat.

"You're standing in front of the paper towels," Kaiba stated calmly again, voice free of its normal nasty degrading tone. Jounouchi frowned. This was very un-bastard-like. Grudgingly Jounouchi reached behind him, tore off a handful of paper towels and handed them to Kaiba.

More silence as Kaiba dried his hands and threw the paper towels away.

"Your books are useless, I've already finished the report," the bastard commented suddenly, cold blue eyes looking right at Jounouchi.

"Yeah, I know," Jounouchi growled, looking down at his pants. Damn, the stain just wouldn't go away.

"I finished the research paper," the bastard stated casually.

"Yeah, I know. You've told me," Jounouchi snapped, getting kinda irritated at this point. Kaiba scoffed coldly, crossing his arms over his chest, looking all important and full of himself.

"You really are an idiot," Kaiba stated.

Jounouchi shot the bastard a glare. "How nice of you to rub it in," he snarled.

The bastard breathed an annoyed sigh through his nose. "Do you even know what each group was assigned to do for this project?" he questioned loftily.

"Does it matter if you've already finished it?" Jounouchi spat.

"Each group is supposed write a paper _and_ give a presentation to the class," Kaiba explained coldly. Jounouchi stopped trying to clean his pants and finally looked up to meet Kaiba's stare.

"Say what?" Jounouchi repeated suspiciously, his brain slowly processing this idea. What was Kaiba talking about?

Kaiba scowled, eyes icy. "You really are slow," he scoffed. "Look, I have important things to do this week. I don't have time to care about presentations." Jounouchi stared at the brunette for a while, trying to understand what the hell this bastard could be hinting at, when suddenly it hit him. Kaiba was telling him to do the presentation. But why? Didn't Kaiba want him to fail?

"Oh, well if you're busy," Jounouchi said mildly. Kaiba grunted and then began to walk out of the bathroom. Jounouchi had to grab his arm to stop him. "A poster."

"A what?" There was a strange look in Kaiba's eyes as he watched the blonde that Jounouchi couldn't quite place.

"I'll make a poster, teachers love that arts and craft crap. Major creativity points," Jounouchi explained positively.

"Fine, but I've got to see it over the weekend, fix all the information you messed up," said Kaiba.

Jounouchi frowned. "I'm not going to mess up," he insisted angrily, teeth clenched.

"Of course," Kaiba mocked sarcastically, giving the blonde a cruel smirk. Jounouchi's face grew hot again. Good to know Kaiba still hadn't changed his opinion about him, even though he was giving Jounouchi the opportunity not to fail.

Stupid inconsistent Kaiba. It was probably all a trick to throw Jounouchi of his obvious-angelic trail. But it wouldn't work. Jounouchi was going to get him.

"Where should I pick this poster up on Friday?"

"Friday?" Jounouchi repeated.

A bell went off in his head. Friday…? Where had he heard that before?

"Yes, the day before the weekend, idiot," Kaiba reminded him. Jounouchi didn't have time to yell at Kaiba this time; he had just spotted a bright yellow flyer posted on the bathroom stall behind Kaiba's head.

A brilliantly _evil_ thought erupted into Jounouchi's mischievous brain; he almost couldn't stop himself from snickering out loud.

"If you insist," Jounouchi said mildly. He read the address off the flyer, Otogi's address. "Around say 9 pm?" Jounouchi suggested.

Kaiba raised a skeptical brow.

"Hey, I've got a busy schedule too."

"Whatever," Kaiba drawled. "Would you mind letting go of me now?" Jounouchi hadn't even noticed he was still holding onto Kaiba's arm. He released Kaiba hastily as though the bastard was fire or something. Kaiba walked passed Jounouchi to the door.

"See ya later," Jounouchi called, mockingly cheerful. Kaiba paused at the door to give him another odd look before disappearing out of the bathroom. The moment he was gone, Jounouchi broke out into a full-blown grin, snickering evilly to himself.

'See how you like being toyed with Kaiba,' Jounouchi thought and skipped out of the bathroom.

He was going to bag himself an angel. Atemu and Ryou were going to be so proud.

* * *

…)(-)-( Calculation )-(-)(…

* * *

Yes, it's the cheap Jounouchi-and-Kaiba-have-to-work-together-on-a-project-gig. Seen that before, right? Well, as you might be able to tell, no work is actually going to get done, none thanks to **Super Kaiba**, Man of No Emotions Zero Tolerance for Blond Loud People. Seriously. 

I've never seen Bakura more determined. Ryou is CRAZY!! Who knows what crazy things he'll do next?

NEXT CHAPTER!!!

Bakura wants this stupid human to stop dying on him! Silly crazy Ryou! Yugi and Atemu are at the ice cream parlor with their poodle skits, singing "Grease Lightening", only _not_. But there is ice cream. Oh yes. Ice cream. So much ice cream you'll be stuffed. Mwahaha.

NOTE: I know there are readers out there who are following this, which is TOTALLY AWESOME! You are definitely cool people, but don't hold back. If you felt that something was not quite right or that my characterization was bad then tell me. Or you know, you could just tell me stuff you liked so I can look out for it next time.

**REVIEW!** Adverbs are bad. Really. Seriously. Badly bad.

Sweet. And you guys are awesome.

**REVIEW QUICKLY!!!**


	5. Fascination

Make no mistake, I love this story to death. A lot of my heart and soul has gone into this story over the past two years. But I have to admit, the beginning is the slowest part. I'm hoping that more people will get thrilled about it after these first boring chapters.

Watching Death Note at the moment. L is a freak of nature and I freaking love him. That hair is fan-fuckme-tastic.

Be careful of ice cream and stray salty popcorn cornels, they are surprisingly attractive. THAT MEANS YOU BAKURA, YOU HEARTLESS FREAK!!

**

* * *

****Chyaputa 5: Fascination**

1. the state of being intensely interested (as by awe or terror)

2. a feeling of great liking for something wonderful and unusual

3. the capacity to attract intense interest

* * *

"This movie sucks," said Ryou, munching on his popcorn, glazed brown eyes fixed on the screen. 

Bakura grunted in response and snatched a fist full of popcorn from the bucket in Ryou's lap.

"It doesn't really make any sense. How does the robot army even know if that's the guy they're looking for? They never even saw him."

"They got his retina scan," Bakura corrected. "The evil robot guy mentions it."

"He did? When?" Ryou asked.

"Right before the guy blew up the first nuclear plant," said Bakura, taking another grab of popcorn.

"Was that before or after the hover car chase?"

"Before," Bakura answered. "Well technically _during_, if you count that spinning elevator thing as a car…"

"How do you remember stuff like that?" Ryou questioned.

"I've seen this movie seven times," Bakura admitted stiffly.

"Poor you," Ryou commented.

Bakura shrugged. "It's something to talk about."

"Hey!" the voice of a fellow moviegoer hissed roughly somewhere behind them. "Could you two shut up? We're trying to watch the movie."

"Why don't you shut up," Bakura snarled behind him, not trying to keep his voice down at all. There was another enormous explosion on the screen, the fifth one so far.

"Did that guy just jump off a building again?" Ryou asked blankly.

"Yep," Bakura muttered, snatching another fist full of popcorn.

"But there's no way he would survive that," Ryou sighed. He looked down at his watch.

Bakura tore his eyes away from the screen to look at Ryou. The human was bored to tears. In any other circumstance, Bakura would have suggested that they leave but he hadn't finished his examination, actually he hadn't even started. Not that it was the Guardian angel's fault. Somehow the movie just seemed… more interesting this eighth time. Because he and Ryou had been talking, he had completely forgotten the reason why he had come to the movie in the first place.

There was a movement beside him and Bakura turned to see the mortal pressing the tips of his thin fingers into the sides of his forehead. He wasn't watching the movie anymore, instead his large eyes were scrunched tight.

Bakura nudged the human. "Hey. You heathly?" He didn't know the movie was that bad.

Ryou lifted his head quickly, as though he had been caught. "It's nothing." And, though to prove this, he squinted back up at the flashing screen. His fingertips remained on his forehead.

"Really?" Bakura questioned doubtfully. "Your eyes are small."

The human passed Bakura a half smile. "I'm fine. It's just a little headache."

Great, because of this stupid movie this human's body was breaking down. What was it going to do next, leak disgusting mortal liquids? "Then you're not ok, are you?" Bakura demanded.

"Really, it's nothing," the pale guy insisted.

Bakura stood up. This human was _not_ going to go and die now. It would draw too much attention to him if he did. "Come on."

And before the wimpy, scrunchy-eyed human could complain, Bakura grabbed Ryou by the arm and yanked him out of the seat.

"I'm fine-" Ryou protested.

"Hey asshole, sit down!" the voice of the person sitting behind them in the darkness spat.

"Make me, bastard!" Bakura snapped very loudly. He grabbed Ryou's arm firmly. "You can't even look at the screen. You don't want your eyes bursting out of their sockets or something. Let's _go_."

Bakura plowed his way passed the knees of several audience members to get to the aisle, Ryou being dragged along behind him.

"I'm really sorry, please excuse us," Ryou apologized to the disturbed movie viewers.

Eventually the pair made it to the aisle and then out into the red hallway outside. Ryou's hands were cupped over his eyes. The human also looked kinda sweaty.

"Sorry," Ryou apologized. "I don't know what's been triggering these headaches."

"That crap movie didn't help, I bet," Bakura growled.

Ryou, despite his condition, smiled, or tried. The guy pretty much failed at anything cheerful.

'Great,' Bakura cursed silently. 'This human's gonna die.' The angel scowled up at the ceiling. What was he supposed to do now? Go home? Leave the sickly human here to decompose?

"I'm sorry," Ryou said again.

Bakura shrugged. Now the human was going to start crying or something. Damn, did this situation suck! "Stop talking and sit."

Ryou walked over to a convenient, yet uncomfortable-looking, bench. Because Bakura had nothing better to do he followed and watched as Ryou sat and leaned his back and his skull up against the wall.

When Ryou closed his eyes, the guy looked almost peaceful. Almost.

But the silence was awkward. Bakura could probably sneak away and the human wouldn't notice with his eyes all closed.

Bakura scratched his scalp. He should leave. "So… get headaches often?"

Ryou shrugged. "Not really. Just recently."

Bakura nodded, although it was unnecessary. And how was he going to find demons _now_? This night had been a waste of time. He would have to find another time to scan Ryou. Bakura breathed out a loud sigh.

"If you're taking the bus home you can go. You don't have to wait for me," Ryou said.

Bakura's eyes narrowed skeptically. "And you?"

Ryou shrugged, eyes still closed. "My friend's picking me up in an hour."

"You'd sit here for an _hour_?" Bakura asked doubtfully.

"I could call if there was a pay phone around here," Ryou answered. "But I haven't seen one, have you?" Bakura shook his head then he remembered the cell phone Yugi had given him, which he had left on his bed at his pseudo-home.

Bakura breathed an annoyed grunt through his nose.

"It's alright," Ryou insisted, "I don't mind waiting."

Bakura glanced at the human again only to see that Ryou's eyes were now open and that oh-so-familiar empty smile was stretched across his pale face. Bakura's insides twitched and he immediately turned away. Looking into those bottomless eyes made Bakura sick. Arrogant humans…

"I got nothing else to do," Bakura grunted.

Ryou blinked and then smiled up at him again. "Thanks," he said, although none of his gratitude reached his expression.

As Ryou closed his eyes again and propped his head against the wall, Bakura knew this mortal was a liar. He didn't even have to use his special senses to figure that out.

So Bakura rolled his eyes and sat down next to the guy. It was so easy to get annoyed at Ryou because the human was dull. Ryou wasn't trying to be evasive or creepy. He wasn't _trying_ to be anything… the guy was so damn _boring_.

"You're really depressing," Bakura commented.

Ryou's expression dissolved into one of thoughtfulness. He paused, recalling the memory. "Depressing? How was I depressing?" The human actually seemed concerned.

"You were going to jump off the school roof and I stopped you," Bakura reminded him.

Ryou shook his head, face still up. "No… I wasn't going to jump off. I told you that."

Bakura paused thinking back. "No, you didn't."

"Yes, I did," Ryou insisted.

"No."

"Yes, I did."

Bakura glared at him then grumbled a final, "Whatever," and turned away again, arms crossed over his chest stubbornly. Bakura didn't know how much longer he could stand this talking business.

"On the roof that day," Ryou began, voice soft. He pulled his head down and finally opened his eyes. "You mentioned you didn't believe in Hell. Why is that?"

Bakura paused, chewing on the idea for a moment. Of all the questions a human to ask about… The angel decided not to answer. Maybe the human would forget he asked.

Silence went by.

But the question came again. "Do you not believe in evil?"

"Of course, I do," Bakura scoffed.

"Do you not believe in existence after mortal life?"

That angered Bakura. Cause he knew that whatever "existence" this human was imagining was nothing like his reality. "Why do you want to know?"

Ryou's eyes opened, upwards toward the ceiling. "I'm curious."

"I don't _not_ believe in hell," Bakura argued.

Ryou blinked. "I don't think I understand…"

Bakura glared at the human again. "'_Evil_'," he rolled his eyes, "Isn't just in one place. It's just… _there_," Bakura added, frustrated. "Everywhere."

But the human didn't seem to be getting it. Ryou's expression was blank now, content with staring Bakura to death.

"Do you believe in Heaven then?" Ryou asked.

Bakura groaned. This guy talked too much. Of course there was a Heaven, Bakura had lived there, did live there. But it wasn't the heaven his guy was thinking about. "No."

He was greeted by Ryou's large brown eyes burrowing into him. Bakura found himself looking away again. Ryou's eyes were so wide it was impossible.

"Why is it so hard to believe there's a paradise?" the mortal sounded almost as though he pitied Bakura and that just pissed him off even more.

"Cause there isn't!" Bakura snapped harshly.

But Ryou's pale, shocked expression melted the Guardian angel's sudden rage. After all, how was an ignorant human, with its small, primitive brain supposed to understand? How was Ryou supposed to know that Heaven had been more like a Hell to Bakura than any kind of paradise?

"Trust me," Bakura sighed, falling back into his seat. "There isn't."

Bakura had said too much, more than he had wanted to. So there was more god-forsaken silence. Ryou didn't speak for a few minutes and Bakura didn't want to look at him. He half hoped he had freaked out the human. Maybe the depressing guy would make up some crazy excuse and leave. That would be nice.

"What you're saying might be true but… don't you think," Ryou began, looking down at his empty bag of popcorn where only a few salty kernels remained, "When life is especially hard, the prospect of a paradise is stronger. When people believe, sometimes things just are what they are because you have faith in them even if there's no way to explain it. Can't you consider that?"

Bakura scowled. "Nothing just _is_ what it _is_ without a reason. That's ridiculous. Believing in something won't make it happen."

Ryou paused, his blank expression was probably a sign that he was thinking.

"You're very strange," he stated finally.

Bakura scoffed. "_I'm_ strange?"

"Yep," Ryou admitted truthfully with a smile. A sick smile. Bakura didn't even have to look at him anymore to tell. Humans were disgusting.

"How am I strange when you're the one who blindly believes in impossible paradises?" he argued.

'Perfect followers,' Bakura added wickedly, ancient anger stirring within him. Ryou didn't say anything after that. Their conversation had collapsed again. Shit, this whole "sit and talk" thing was failing; someone needed to take it out of its misery already.

"_This_ is why you're depressing," Bakura pointed out with a large dramatic sigh.

The laugh that escaped from Ryou's lips was small and feeble as though the human had never attempted the action before. Everything about his movements was so forced, Bakura could tell. But why? How could Ryou be so depressed one minute and then suddenly so sickeningly happy the next? Why even fake it?

They sat in silence for a while after. It sat on top of the two of them, encasing them in quiet, separating them from the rest of the world.

Then an idea suddenly popped into Bakura's head. "Can I ask you something?" he questioned seriously. He looked at Ryou, squinting at him as if he was a spoon Bakura was trying to bend with his mind.

"Ah, sure," Ryou answered uneasily. "What?"

"Are you male or female?" Bakura asked suspiciously, examining him.

Ryou's pale complexion automatically turned crimson.

"W-what? I'm a guy!" interjected Ryou forcefully. Finally, some actual emotion, if that's what it was.

Bakura frowned and then shrugged carelessly as if it had been obvious from the beginning. "I see…"

"You didn't _know_?" Ryou questioned, voice squeaking.

"Well… you do look all… girlie," Bakura pointed out gravely.

If possible, Ryou's transparent face grew brighter, running a hand nervously through his long fluffy hair. "Couldn't you tell by the _guy's_ uniform I was wearing at school?"

Bakura paused, his mind finally piecing this information together.

"You didn't invite me on a… a date because you thought I was a girl, did you?" Ryou asked nervously, looking down at his shoes, face still slightly pink.

Bakura nearly fell off his seat, horrified.

"_Date_? _No_! I _don't_ go out on dates." Bakura had seen too much on TV of what teenagers did on dates to care to indulge in their various forms of sexual experimentation.

"Good," said Ryou, breathing a sigh of relief, "I was worried for a second."

"That would be embarrassing," Bakura pondered and even felt a little of a chuckle rising in his gullet.

"What would?" asked Ryou.

"Someone asking you out on a date, thinking you were a girl," Bakura answered with a grin. "Has that happened?"

"No. Most people are smart enough to tell the difference," Ryou added subtly.

"I think you just insulted me, _miss_," Bakura growled mockingly.

Ryou turned pink and elbowed him in the side.

…)(-)-( Fascination )-(-)(…

"I'll have a scoop of double chocolate fudge brownie swirl, please," Yugi ordered excitedly.

Jounouchi's eyes widened in amazement. "That's a lotta chocolate there, Yugi," he commented as they all watched the woman behind the counter dribble chocolate syrup over Yugi's ice cream.

"You sure you're going to be able to finish all that?" Honda asked. Yugi nodded eagerly as he paid the woman for his ice cream.

"You're lucky. I'd never be able to eat that," said Otogi, lifting a spoon of his sugar-free orange and lime sherbet to his mouth. "I'd gain like five pounds."

"You could stand it," Honda taunted. Otogi glared at him.

"So what should we do after this?" Yugi asked, licking his ice cream enthusiastically.

"We could go to that new game shop that just opened across the street," Atemu suggested, sitting next to Yugi at the table and eating much more carefully.

"Yeah! I like that idea!" Yugi cried, face lighting up immediately.

"Sorry guys, me and Mr. Metrosexual over here have to work on our project for science class before the party night," Honda said as Otogi sent him a swift kick in the leg.

"What about you, Jounouchi-kun?" Atemu asked. "Want to go to the gaming shop with us?"

"Sounds fun but I also got that project to work on too. Got a poster I have to finish by tonight and I haven't even started," Jounouchi said.

"Jounouchi-kun, you really shouldn't procrastinate so much. That's Kaiba-kun's grade too," Yugi reminded him.

"Yeah and he'll murder you if you mess it up," Otogi added.

"Naw, he's picking up the poster tonight to 'fix all the information you messed up'," Jounouchi mocked, his fingers imitating little quotation marks. Otogi and Honda chuckled. "God, that guy doesn't trust anyone. He's such a bastard."

"Tell me about it," Honda moaned. "I asked him a question in class today and he completely blew me off, just like that!"

"Well, there's nothing you can exactly do about it," Otogi said tiredly. "And speaking of which… Don't forget! Halloween party tonight at my house! Hottest party of the year! You'll be a socially inept loser if you miss it!" Otogi announced enthusiastically, changing subjects at the speed of light.

Honda cheered, throwing his fist into the air. Yugi and Atemu looked at each other sympathetically, shaking their heads.

"Jounouchi, I _know_ you're going."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there," Jounouchi dismissed carelessly, throwing away his ice cream cup.

"Yugi, Atemu, what about you guys?" Otogi asked.

"Ah… I don't know, I got a lot of ah, homework," Yugi said nervously, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Otogi turned to Atemu, slim eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Ah, me too," Atemu said shortly, throwing his empty ice cream cup away hastily.

"You two are _so_ boring," Honda groaned, draping his arms across Yugi's and Atemu's shoulders. "You guys need to get out, lose your games and live a little!"

"Lose our _games_?" Yugi asked horrified, clasping his hands over his ears as though he was trying to block out the blasphemy. Atemu grinned.

"Might as well give up," Otogi advised Honda wisely. "Yugi and Atemu are too _good_ to get caught at a wild party like mine. Too bad we won't be able to afford to be seen with them tomorrow since they'll be officially uncool, you know."

"How is that any different than usual?" Yugi wondered.

"Nice to see you have your priorities straightened out," Atemu drawled sourly, as Yugi saluted him with his ice cream covered spoon.

The pretty boy shrugged. "Sorry, that's just the way the world is. You two should brush up on your school socialdynamics," Otogi advised coolly.

"We'll get right on that," Atemu answered.

"See you guys later!" Jounouchi called leaving the ice cream shop, Otogi and Honda following right behind him.

It was just Atemu and Yugi sitting at their table now, Atemu waiting patiently for Yugi to finish his ice cream cone. The late afternoon autumn sun shown through the large windows at the front of the shop, illuminating Atemu's gold tanned face. Yugi couldn't help but notice out of the corner of his eye that his table companion was watching him eat.

Then Atemu chuckled.

Yugi turned to him suspiciously. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"Here," Atemu offered. He reached over the table and wiped the very tip of Yugi's small nose. Yugi had been consuming the dessert so enthusiastically that he had gotten a little bit of chocolate ice cream on his nose without realizing it. "That's better," Atemu said, satisfied.

"Oh. Thanks," Yugi mumbled, grinning embarrassed.

Atemu grinned too and then playfully licked the bit of chocolate off the tip of his finger.

Yugi would have giggled but the laugh died in his throat as soon as he came in contact with Atemu's delicious crimson eyes. Yugi choked. Atemu's eyes were so deep it actually was kinda hard to stop staring, all twinkling and dancing. Of course, eyes didn't really dance or twinkle but they were doing a damn good job trying.

He was in fact so interested in these not-quite-dancing-eyes that it took Yugi a long time to even realize that there was chocolate ice cream melting all over his hand.

"Oops," Yugi mumbled. He began to lick up the mess but then…

Yugi glanced up and saw that Atemu was still staring transfixed at him, at his hand, at his tongue licking up the melting dessert…

Yugi's face went hot. He tentatively put his tongue back into his mouth and proceeded to clean up the rest of the chocolate with the left over napkins, fingers trembling. His throat had gone rather dry.

"Here I'll-" Atemu began hand darting forward with a couple of fresh napkins. His fingers brushed against Yugi's hand and in that second Yugi flinched. The ice cream scoop dropped off Yugi's cone into Atemu's open hand.

"Oh sorry-" Yugi squeaked, panicked.

"It's alright-" Atemu insisted. "Look." He placed the scoop back on the cone with his ice cream covered fingers. "See, all better."

"Ha, mostly," Yugi laughed nervously. Atemu shrugged.

"Is there a bathroom in here? I need to clean up," Atemu said looking around, trying not to let the ice cream from his hands drip onto the floor.

"In the back," Yugi answered.

"Cool." And then Atemu dipped one of his own fingers into his mouth, licking it clean of chocolate.

Yugi's weak stomach dropped.

"Yum, maybe I'll try this next time," Atemu joked, grinned and then walked to the back of the shop towards the bathroom, leaving a severely blushing Yugi behind.

'What was that?' Yugi wondered, gazing after Atemu. The Hashmallim shook himself, slapping his forehead. 'What am I doing? I can't panic like this.' He leaned back tiredly in his chair, warm humiliation filling his gut. Yugi's ears were still burning as he sighed to himself in an unexpected bout of regret, 'He must think I'm a total klutz now.'

And why did Yugi care so much about what Atemu thought of him anyway? Atemu wasn't part of the mission. Atemu was just… Atemu.

Yugi's cell phone rang a few minutes later. He reached awkwardly down into his coat pocket to pull it out and flip it open.

"Hello?" Yugi answered, wincing as he noticed the hand holding the phone up to his ear was sticky with ice cream.

"Get over here _now_," the voice on the other line ordered, it sounded really urgent.

Yugi took a beat to answer. "Who is this?"

"Who the hell do you think?" the voice growled irritably. That was Bakura.

"I can't go right now. I'm kinda _busy_," Yugi insisted turning to see Atemu as he came out of the bathroom, hands clean and ice cream free.

"I found something you _need_ see," Bakura stated. His voice was strained and deadly serious.

Yugi's breath caught in his throat. He could feel the suppressed wings under his human skin twitch, the feathers rustling. Atemu sat calmly down at the table and waited for Yugi to be done with his call.

"You're sure?" Yugi said breathlessly, turning away from Atemu as though to cut him out of the conversation. Of all the times for Bakura to find one…

"Would I be calling you if I wasn't?" Bakura growled.

Yugi hesitated and glanced nervously back at Atemu sitting across the table.

"I'll be there in five minutes," Yugi said shortly and hung up.

"What is it?" Atemu asked, as Yugi stood up from the table.

Yugi handed Atemu his ice cream cone; it might as well not be wasted. "I need to meet Bakura."

"Ok." Atemu's smooth face revealed no emotion but Yugi knew he was disappointed.

"I'm sorry, it's sort of a… family emergency," Yugi explained, already halfway to the door, pulse racing. His feet moved reluctantly.

"It's fine, we can visit that game shop another time," said Atemu.

"I'm really sorry," Yugi apologized and he meant it.

Atemu nodded in understanding. "I know."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," Yugi said, opening the door and stepping outside into the street.

"I'm sure you will," said Atemu with a grin. Yugi smiled back before tearing his eyes away from that ice cream shop. He ran the next three blocks, the words of Bakura echoing in his ears.

'He found one? How did he find one already?' Yugi thought as he dodged innocent pedestrians, feet pounding on the gray pavement below him. Maybe it wasn't so surprising, how long had they been here? Almost two months by now.

Yugi came to a halt outside an alley. It would take too long to wait for a bus. Yugi ducked down inside the alley and leaped behind a large dumpster that smelled strongly of fish so he was hidden from passersby. He pulled out his cell phone once again and felt the communication crystal enclosed within it.

Yugi closed his eyes. He could see Bakura's location in his mind, behind a corner of the school wall, near the front gate.

Careful to only pull out the tiniest string of his angelic power so his presence would not be detected, Yugi threaded it neatly through the communication crystal to Bakura's location. Then with one brisk step to the side, Yugi gave the string a sharp tug and felt the familiar sudden jerk of the teleportation.

In less then half a second, the ground spun to a stop under his feet. Yugi opened his eyes to find himself at Bakura's side, his white haired friend leaning against the brick wall of the school building.

"Did you call Kaiba?" Yugi asked, dusting himself off.

Bakura snorted. "Ah, _no_."

Yugi frowned but let the matter go. "Where is it?" he asked, voice hushed, peering around the corner of the school wall.

"There," Bakura spat, tone laden with disgust. Yugi followed his gaze to an alley across the street where two figures could be seen, one a sweaty looking middle age man, the other a young woman, maybe somewhere in her twenties. Woman had long blonde hair, a white sleeveless corset, a tight purple mini skirt above her shapely legs and purple spike heeled boots. Judging from the way the woman was smiling and how her long painted fingernails were tracing the man's arm teasingly, Yugi guessed the man must have been arranging to enjoy some of the woman's more personal services.

"Which one?" Yugi asked Bakura.

"Can't you tell from the stench?" Bakura scoffed, watching the pair with silted eyes.

Yugi sniffed but caught nothing more than car exhaust mixed with the odor of ramen noodles from the restaurant next door. Of course, Yugi reminded himself, Bakura's senses were much sharper than his.

Yugi looked back at the man and woman and saw the woman take something out her pocket that caught the light on its cylinder surface and slipped it discreetly into the man's hand.

"Was that…?" Yugi began but stopped as Bakura suddenly strode out of their hiding place and began to cross the busy street, making his way directly towards the man and woman. "Bakura wait!" Yugi hissed following him. "What are you doing?"

Bakura didn't answer; he was already halfway across the crosswalk. He had reached the edge and then without even bothering to wait for Yugi to catch up and walked right up to the man and the woman.

"…should be plenty, remember to get rid of the rest of stuff as soon as she's well, don't leave it lying around for just anyone to find," the woman cooed.

"But how do I use it?" the sweaty man asked nervously, slipping the vial into his coat pocket.

"Just one drop in a cup of tea should do it, two if she's real sick," the woman instructed smoothly, her voice low and silky. "But no more than that, honey, or… well, let's say, the consequences won't be pretty."

"Can't have your customers turning into rotting pus on you," Bakura drawled nastily, standing in the entranceway of the alley.

The man jumped and spun around guiltily while the woman simply lifted her great golden head haughtily.

"You got a problem, sweeties?" the woman asked, smiling at Bakura and Yugi as if they were disguised as kindergartners, not high schoolers. "Don't you think you're a little to young to be sticking your noses into adult conversations?" she crowed.

The nervous looking man tried to slip cautiously away but Bakura caught him by the collar before he could get passed. With one sharp movement, Bakura removed the vial from the human's pocket and held it up to the light allowing Yugi to see the silvery liquid inside.

"Just as I thought," Bakura scoffed.

"Undiluted angel's tears," Yugi recognized, turning to face the woman. If she was in possession of those, there was no way that this woman could be a demon.

"Excuse me," the man squeaked, still trapped by Bakura's hand. "I bought that! You can't take that from me! It's not even illegal! I swear!"

Bakura gave the man a disgusted look. "Not where you come from," he growled.

"Come on now," the woman coaxed, still looking quite relaxed. "Can't you let it go, just this once. He isn't going to use them to hurt anyone. He's got a sick little girl at home. Cancer, the poor dear and only six years alive. Really, it's a heart warming story."

Bakura's annoyed glare landed on the lustily dressed woman. "Like you care," he sneered, releasing the man carelessly and tossing him back the vial. The man caught it clumsily and then took off in a terrified sprint down the street and out of sight. "You're in violation of the Angelic Code, Kujaku Mai."

The woman shrugged. "Wow. I'm impressed you found me out," she said smoothly, shifting her weight to the side so that her hip stuck out, accenting her already shapely body. "Perhaps you'll have enough courtesy to let me know to whom _I_ am answering to?"

"You know her, Bakura-kun?" Yugi asked.

The woman's eyes widened. "Bakura?" she questioned almost disbelievingly. "Well, isn't that _amazing_!" she cried in delight, relaxing. "Guess I should have recognized that rude attitude of yours. I thought the Prison Keepers got a hold of you."

"They did," Bakura answered dryly. "Kujaku Mai was one of my previous market buyers," Bakura told Yugi.

"Not that your tears went for anything useful," Mai said smugly, measuring the length of her primped nails with her eyes. "Barely had enough healing power to stop a nosebleed." Bakura scowled deeply but didn't respond. "So what are you doing all the way out here? I'm guessing since you haven't threatened to arrest me yet you're not with the Balance Guardian Patrols."

"Actually that's none of your business," said Bakura coldly. "What should be is that cheap human skin of yours."

The woman flipped some of her golden hair over her shoulder. "What about it?"

"You're being sloppy with your disguise. I can smell your angelic presence from a mile away," Bakura said, dark violet eyes narrowing menacingly.

"And that's some business of yours, hon?" Mai questioned. Now that she had some idea of who she was dealing with, the woman had dropped the sweet act. "You know humans, their sense is as dull as a brick. And I'm not so stupid that I'd upset the Balance Laws or anything, I promise you boys that."

"It's not that," Yugi added seriously. "You need to be careful. Haven't you kept up with the Council updates? This city is a Red Colored zone. There are demons around here."

Mai's eyes turned to Yugi, amused. "Demons?" she laughed. "There haven't been demons around here in nearly a hundred years. And as for the Council? Those dip-shits haven't done anything for me. They can't even stop the demons from invading our angelic space, so how am I supposed to take anything they say seriously?"

Yugi bit his bottom lip but remained silent.

"You should heed our warning," Bakura snarled dangerously. "It wouldn't take much for a demon to locate you with that lax defense you've got."

The woman's critical gaze fell on her former co-worker. "I'm actually disappointed in you, Bakura. I thought you loathed the Council. What are you doing nowadays? Working for them? Being their little _errand boy_?"

"I _despise_ the Council a thousand times more than _you_ could _possibly_ imagine!" Bakura snarled, outraged and losing his temper.

Yugi put a hand on his friend's wrist, trying to calm him. "The point is, you have to get out of his world while you still can."

Mai crossed her arms over her waist, eyeing both Yugi and Bakura blandly. It looked as though their warning hadn't done much good; she wasn't even pretending to take them seriously. "Look. Thanks for the concern, boys, but I got a long list of sales to make and as long as you two aren't going to arrest me I've got to get back to work," said Mai, walking past the two of them and out into the street. "I'll keep my eyes out for any trouble but I guarantee you, there won't be any." And with that she turned down the sidewalk and walked away, long golden hair shimmering, giving the two of them a playfully mocking wave.

"You think she'll be alright?" Yugi asked Bakura.

Bakura scowled, and tore his arm out of Yugi's firm grip frustratingly. "Most likely that bitch will get herself killed and if she doesn't take our advice it'll serve her right."

Yugi was concerned, staring after the angel as she disappeared into the crowd of humans.

His purple eyes suddenly caught sight of a large clock down the street. It was 4:45. Atemu would have left the ice cream shop long ago, he was probably even at home by now, starting his homework. A tiny light of resentment lit up in Yugi's chest. He turned to Bakura.

"If you knew she was an angel, couldn't you have handled that on your own?" Yugi questioned, trying to keep the annoyed tone in his voice down to a minimum since Bakura was probably still pissed about Mai. "She wasn't even a demon."

Bakura's mouth formed a snarl. "Excuse me, Mr. Head-of-Operations-on-this-Mission, I thought you would _want_ to know," Bakura growled darkly, but his voiced had lost its edge so Yugi knew he couldn't be that angry. "Doesn't hurt to be cautious, does it? Besides you never know, she could have attacked me."

"More likely _you_ would have attacked her," Yugi muttered as the both of them headed towards the nearest bus station. Maybe he could just call Atemu when he got home.

* * *

…)(-)-( Fascination )-(-)(…

* * *

Bakura is a fucking beast. Ryou's a total freak. Yugi and Atemu are so huggable sicken me I know what you're all thinking and there will be as little contact with all female characters as possible. This was one of those few rare instances. Don't fear for the gayness of everyone else. 

NEXT CHAPTER!! Jounouchi is taking his research a little too far. Just a tiny bit. Kaiba tries to resist but not for long. Jounouchi's got the upper hand, but what happens when the party gets out of control. Ryou goes for a little walk.

Please, and this is no joking matter, your reviews and comments keep me alive. Please continue to give me feedback. YOU GUYS ROCK LIKE A COUPLE OF ROCKSLIDES. And those do rock, believe me, I know.

**REVIEW!!**


	6. Intoxication

Mwahahahahahahaha… (that's all I have to say about this chapter)

Read, bitches.

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**Chyaputa 6: Intoxication**

1. Stupefaction or excitement by the action of a chemical substance.

2. Exhilaration, excitement, or euphoria.

3. Poisoning by a drug or toxic substance.

* * *

Jounouchi arrived at Otogi's house at fifteen minutes to nine and the party had already begun. Music was pounding so loud the walls of the house seemed to be pulsing. People needed to shout to be heard over the thunderous songs. Sluggishly dancing human bodies were packed into Otogi's small mansion. It looked as though the whole school was here, plus another hundred. Did Otogi even know all of these people? 

Jounouchi didn't even bother trying to look for Honda and Otogi. It would be next to impossible in this crowd. He stood next to a giant punch bowl within sight of the front door so he would be able to spot Kaiba when he entered. He had rolled their Biology project's poster up, wrapped it in a trash bag, and then hid it behind the couch, out of sight and danger. Now he just had wait.

A couple fell out of the dancing crowd and onto a couch not two feet away from where Jounouchi stood. The blonde could then only watch in horror as they proceeded to climb on top of each other and suck on each other's faces, as well as many other nasty human things.

"AH!" Jounouchi cried in revulsion, skidding a few more feet away. "Get a freaking _room_!"

The couple dropped off the couch in surprise. The guy flipped Jounouchi off before dragging his girlfriend back into the crowd to find a more private spot.

Deciding to take no more chances, Jounouchi occupied the couch himself so that no other couple could come and disgrace it.

The blonde rubbed his temples tiredly. The loud music was finally starting to get to him. Perhaps this hadn't been the smartest idea he had ever come up with. Who knew what could happen at these human parties anyway.

'Besides, Kaiba would never be caught dead in here. Maybe I should go,' Jounouchi thought.

All these dancing human bodies were making his throat dry.

"Agh, I need something to drink," Jounouchi said to himself. He reached over and absentmindedly grabbed a cup of whatever was in that punch bowl. He drank a mouthful, then ended up spitting half of it out on a scantily clan girl nearby.

"Watch where the fuck you're spitting, asswipe!" she shrieked, striding hurriedly away.

Odd, Jounouchi thought, still gagging. The stuff didn't taste like any other human drink he had tried. Actually, it kinda reminded Jounouchi of some of the stuff back home. Repulsive yet fruity. Perhaps it was poisonous.

Thirsty, and now a little home sick, Jounouchi took another swallow, the liquid burning his throat.

Jounouchi checked his watch. It was ten minutes passed nine. He didn't think Kaiba was the late type.

'He probably came, saw the place and left already,' Jounouchi thought grudgingly, upending the cup and draining it empty. Strangely though, he still seemed to be thirsty.

"Man, this tastes like shit," Jounouchi said, shivering as the drink settled unpleasantly in his stomach. Why would humans drink this stuff?

He leaned back on the couch and stared up at a lamp on Otogi's ceiling. A strange burning sensation had started in the back of his neck traveling up to his brain. It wasn't painful, just sort of an itch. He stared at the lamp for a long time, letting his eyes shift in and out of focus and watching as it grew strangely brighter, faint rainbows of light dancing in the air.

"Heh, weird…" Jounouchi mused in interest, tilting his head to the side.

"Passed out already?" a harsh voice snapped. Jounouchi looked down and his head suddenly spun. Jounouchi shook himself again, blinked a few times before his eyes finally recognized a very pissed off looking Kaiba standing in front of him.

"Heey," Jounouchi greeted, smiling sloppily. Since when did he smile at Kaiba? Jounouchi let it go. The whole world seemed to be moving pleasantly around him, liquid-like as though the whole house was underwater. "How's it going?"

One of Kaiba's eyes twitched. "You said you were going to give me that poster. Not slack off at some druggie hellhole."

"Poster?" Jounouchi questioned, mocking ignorance. "What poster?"

Kaiba really had the most _fascinating_ facial expressions! Right now his eyes were absolutely livid, all cold and smolder-y.

"I don't have time for your games, _slacker_," Kaiba snapped, turning away and about to walk right out the door again.

"Whoa, hey, Kaiba!" Jounouchi called, grabbing a hold of Kaiba's sleeve. "Calm down! I brought the freaking poster."

Kaiba shifted back to the blonde, arms crossed stubbornly over his chest, glaring down at Jounouchi. "Well? Where is it?"

Jounouchi sighed, shaking his head sadly. "Kaiba, Kaiba, I'll tell you where it is. Sit down," he offered, gesturing to the spot on the couch next to him.

Kaiba's face remained stonily blank. "No thanks," he hissed.

"You see, _that's_ what wrong with you," Jounouchi said, waggling his finger at Kaiba pityingly. "It's always work, work, work with you. Have you ever actually tried to relax?"

"No," Kaiba answered shortly, face still unmoved. "Are you going to tell me where the poster is or not?"

"I'll tell you," Jounouchi answered, "When you sit down."

"How about if you just tell me and then I leave," Kaiba growled, blue eyes burning hatefully.

"Come on, Kaiba, give me one good reason why you shouldn't?" Jounouchi coaxed.

Kaiba's lip curled unpleasantly. "Because being in your presence is irritating and insufferable."

Jounouchi snorted. "Well, excuuuse me," he mused mockingly, waving his hand dismissively.

Now that he thought of it… thought of it, his head did seem rather… light? Had it been this way a minute ago? Was he sick? Why?

Something clattered onto the floor at his feet. Jounouchi looked down and saw the now empty, red plastic cup on Otogi's wooden floor. He looked up to the punch bowl then down at the cup again and finally his mind was able to piece the facts together.

So that's why humans drunk this stuff.

Now that he thought of it, he had heard of some kind of human drink that… loosened people up? Was that what was hiding in the seemingly innocent red liquid? Some kind of human drug? It was already working its magic on Jounouchi. He felt lighter, giddier. It was a real interesting sensation.

A light came on in Jounouchi's head, an utterly horrible scheme. He looked up and at the silently brooding Kaiba, a plan forming his mind.

If he, Jounouchi went all giggly with just one cup of this mysterious punch what would it do to Kaiba? And if Kaiba was an angel, as Jounouchi expected, this special punch might help Jounouchi get the information he wanted. With enough of this stuff, Kaiba would be spilling out his entire life story, secret codes to his secret angelic lair.

"I can do this project without you, idiot. Its no trouble to me," Kaiba threatened, icy blue eyes narrowing.

"Or you could try not to be a complete asshole for once in your tiny tiny life and _sit down_," Jounouchi insisted stubbornly, waving at the seat again. Kaiba scowled down at the couch. "Come on, Kaiba, it's really not that hard. Just bend you knees and it will be all over in a few seconds."

"Why do you want me to sit?" Kaiba questioned fiercely, eyes intimidating.

Jounouchi paused, tapping his chin, pondering. He couldn't make himself sound too desperate or else Kaiba would purposely not sit down just to piss him off.

"Because, I wish to you torture you, long and painfully," Jounouchi taunted sarcastically.

"That doesn't give me much incentive to do what you ask then, does it?" Kaiba countered coolly.

"Look," Jounouchi began. "I can't _make_ you do anything, Kaiba." He made sure to say the bastard's name all sincerely. "Sit down if you want, leave if you want, but I _promise_ your frail pride will survive if you stop being such a stuck up bitch for one second."

Kaiba's scowl deepened, his eyes glaring as though if he were trying to penetrate Jounouchi's skull and read his thoughts. The music blared loudly around them, the rest of the human bodies still danced drunkenly in blissful human sensation, as Kaiba considered Jounouchi's proposal.

Finally Kaiba shifted. He turned and then actually sat down on the couch right next to Jounouchi, the springs creaking underneath his weight.

Jounouchi grinned. The first step of his plan was complete.

"There. Happy?" Kaiba snapped, annoyed.

"Wow," Jounouchi mused, grinning still more triumphantly.

"What?" Kaiba spat suspiciously, body rigid.

"I didn't actually think an arrogant bastard, like yourself, would do it," Jounouchi admitted honestly.

Kaiba's glowering eyes intensified. "I can leave," he threatened darkly.

Jounouchi laughed and patted Kaiba on the back as though they were old friends, which they certainly weren't. "I'm just messing with you. Man, you _really_ can't take a joke. Come on, let me get you a drink," Jounouchi offered. He reached for the punch bowl and poured Kaiba and himself fresh cups, near to the brim of clear crimson liquid. Then he handed Kaiba the cup.

Reluctantly Kaiba took it, scowling into the cup's contents.

"What's in here?" Kaiba accused,

"What? You don't like _punch_?" Jounouchi asked.

Kaiba looked up at Jounouchi, face full of suspicion. It looked as though he needed a little more persuasion.

"It's good, really. Try it," Jounouchi encouraged.

Kaiba didn't lift the cup to his lips.

Jounouchi sighed. Why did everything have to be so difficult with this guy? "Look." Jounouchi lifted his own cup to his lips and took the slightest of slips, swallowing dramatically and smacking his lips as though he was drinking reincarnation of ambrosia. "Mmmmmm, fruity-licious."

Kaiba looked down at the cup one more time, glanced back up at Jounouchi and then drank a mouthful.

He didn't spit it up like Jounouchi had but there was a moment where his perfectly composed face contorted with revulsion and grew a shade paler. Kaiba had no choice but to swallow. It looked like he was trying to force an entire raw fish down his throat.

Jounouchi cackled so enthusiastically that he spilled red punch all over himself.

"You sick…" Kaiba breathed, facial muscles still wincing at the ugly flavor. "What… is _that_?"

"Aw, don't be such a pussy, Kaiba-kun," Jounouchi cooed and took another swig from his own cup.

…)(-)-( Intoxication )-(-)(…

Ryou's pale fingers drummed on the windowsill, his brown eyes looking out the window at the night sky. It was cloudy and no stars or moon could be seen. Atemu had noticed that Ryou had hardly touched his dinner.

"You okay?" Atemu asked, clearing the table.

"Oh… ah, yeah. Fine," Ryou answered distracted, eyes flittering back to the window. Atemu placed the dishes in the sink.

"How was school today?" Atemu asked, turning on the water and rinsing the plates off before he put them in the dishwasher. Ryou shrugged, watching a car drive by on the road outside their house.

"Fine," Ryou said shortly, not really paying attention. He drummed his fingers on the sill absentmindedly again. He was antsy and bored. Very bored. Ryou's blood churned.

He had not been out of his suffocating human shell in two months.

"Hey Atemu," Ryou called, finally turning to look at his friend.

"Yeah," Atemu answered, picking at a particularly stubborn food stain.

"Can I scout tonight?" Ryou asked.

"Ah… sure," Atemu answered uneasily, wiping his hands on a nearby towel.

Despite his answer, Ryou knew Atemu didn't like the idea.

"I know it's normally your job because your presence is the least likely to be noticed but I just want some air, a chance to stretch," Ryou explained.

Atemu's mouth twitched. "You sure that's such a good idea?" he asked delicately.

Ryou smiled. "I'll be careful, I promise. Besides, there's no moon out, no one will see me."

Ryou knew Atemu didn't want him to go. But the old demon couldn't stop him. Both Ryou and Atemu know that the Prince of Hell out ranked his friend in both status and skill.

"Don't be out too long, ok?" said Atemu.

Ryou smiled again, nodded and then disappeared out of the kitchen and into the hall without another word.

Not bothering to put on a coat or even a pair of shoes, Ryou opened the front door and stepped outside onto the cool pavement. He was greeted by a gust of brisk autumn wind, making his white hair fly around his head. Ryou breathed it in and relaxed, the fidgety sensation in his gut that he had been fighting all day was finally released.

Ryou's human skin dissolved automatically, as though it too had wanted to be free of him. His familiar, leathery black wings unfolded from his back and stretched outward to the sky, thin hollow joints cracking slightly from their prolonged cramped repression. Ryou sighed with relief as his patchy white and black demon skin tingled in the cool air.

There were headlights of a car turning onto Ryou's street.

With not a moment to waste, Ryou's wings curved and his powerful legs launch himself into the air. His wings caught a breeze and rode it up into the night sky.

Ryou hummed with happiness, glad to once again be free from the confining ground, soaring any way he pleased in that three dimensional space. The freezing air bit his face as he flew.

When he was high enough, Ryou tipped to the side, folded his wings close to his body and fell into a downward spiral, lights from the city below spinning in shinny multi-colored circles. When the ground came too close, Ryou sprung his wings back out to the sides, righting himself and swooping back up into the air.

'I haven't done that in a while,' Ryou thought to himself, allowing wings to glide him carelessly on the air. Technically he wasn't supposed to be fooling around like this, he was supposed to be scouting the surrounding the area for angels. Ryou sighed. Might as well get to work.

Allowing the winds to carry him aimlessly, Ryou closed his eyes and searched briefly for any sign of angel signatures.

Almost immediately his black eyes snapped back open. There. On the ground between two very tall buildings, was that something? Ryou circled the spot like a great black hawk. An unusual air current was wafting up from that spot. Surely it couldn't be. It was so obvious, too easy. Was this a trick? Ryou considered contacting Atemu for a moment but finally decided against it. Even if it was a trap, Ryou could handle it.

Keeping to the shadows, Ryou dropped down to a rooftop. He clung to the top of a brick wall, watching the ground intently.

A woman emerged from the street, long golden hair glowing in the yellow light of the street lamp above. She was walking rather hastily, causing her purple heeled boots to click against the concrete sidewalk.

Ryou's black eyes followed her, tracing woman's aura, a cloud of milky white smoke curling in her wake, invisible to the eyes of humans.

There was no mistake. This woman was an angel.

Ryou dropped soundlessly to the ground, his demon blood began to rush with anticipation. The woman's pace had not changed, she hadn't even noticed him. Didn't she even know she was leaking her angelic power like perfume all over the ground? Maybe she wanted to be caught? Or maybe was just careless and stupid.

The woman crossed the street and walked into an alley, perhaps taking a short cut to her destination. But she would never reach it.

She turned a corner at the end of the alley; she was now out of sight from the street.

Finally the woman stopped short, stumbling to a halt.

"Hello?" she called into the darkness. "Is anyone there? Come out!" she ordered. Her voice was harsh but, even from his hiding place, Ryou could see the fear in her mind.

Not in the mood to play games, Ryou stepped out of the shadows, the dim light from a bug zapper outside an apartment building caught on the white patches of his face.

"Hello," Ryou greeted pleasantly, giving her a small smile. "Nice night, isn't it?" he commented casually.

The woman froze. Terror consumed her purple eyes. She had realized her mistake too late and there would be no time to learn from it.

"Shit!" she cursed loudly. She immediately dropped the bag she was carrying and shed her pathetic excuse for a human skin, dust purple feathered wings exploded from her back in their urgency to appear. Her purple high-heeled boots morphed into golden-clawed bird feet. A Harpy? Not what Ryou would think of as a low species of angel but they were certainly careless creatures.

Ryou sighed; now she was going to try to escape. Couldn't anything be simple?

"That won't work," said Ryou kindly.

The woman harpy ignored his comment and launched herself into the air.

Ryou didn't even bother to follow her.

Before she could fly past the buildings beside her, a shadow jumped off the wall and wrapped itself around her ankles.

She screeched, voice bird-like, thrashing against her restraints, but then another shadow jumped off the wall, hitting her square in the chest and throwing her against the opposite wall. There was a nasty crack and crumple as a handful of ashy purple feathers floated down to the ground. She cried out, another shadow wrapped itself around her remaining thrashing wing, another restrained her arms.

Ryou leaped across the space between the two buildings onto a fire escape. He crouched relaxed on the railing right next to the bird angel.

"I told you," Ryou stated.

"Bastard!! Fallen shit!" she shrieked still struggling. Ryou let the shadows tighten their hold on the harpy. She cried out in pain, another handful of her feathers fell and were caught up by the wind.

"You're lively," Ryou observed.

"I don't know anything! You might as well kill me now!" the woman-bird angel spat, face pale with pain.

"Oh, I believe you. Not with a careless human skin like that," Ryou agreed pleasantly. "But I'm sure even an illegal immigrant like yourself knows the Laws of the Balance."

The harpy didn't answer. She knew what was coming.

"The human population can't find out about angels or demons, dead body or alive. So I can't just kill you and leave you here out in the open," Ryou explained simply.

"Do you know how to turn an angel into a human? I myself have only heard rumors. Is it that you have to tear off their wings?" Ryou asked politely. He paused as if waiting for the angel to add her opinion but she kept silent, too terrified to speak.

Ryou gave her a kind smile. The harpy knew what was about to happen to her.

"Let's see if it works…"

…)(-)-( Intoxication )-(-)(…

"Hey, hey. How many have you drunk?" Jounouchi asked sluggishly, nudging Kaiba in the side to get his attention.

"What?" Kaiba cried over the music, squinting at Jounouchi.

"I said, how many have you drunk?" Jounouchi shouted louder, indicating his clear plastic cup. Together they had collected a small pile of cups at the foot of the couch.

"I'm not drunk!" Kaiba yelled back indignantly.

Jounouchi scoffed. "Phft, yeah you are!" he shouted back.

"I," Kaiba pointed to himself rather dramatically. "Am," his eyes rolled, trying to focus on Jounouchi's head. "A CEO of a _major_ company. I don't get drunk! Certainly not at," he hiccupped, "Crappy teenage parties."

"C-E-O?" Jounouchi chuckled. The idea of Kaiba being in charge of other people's lives was hilarious. Like that would ever happen. "Yeah, riiiight. You really _are_ drunk!"

Kaiba frowned half-heartedly; it looked more like a sloppy pout. "No, I really am!" he shouted. "Ever heard of the super mighty Kaiba Corporation?"

Jounouchi scratched his chin to mock thinking. "Nope, sorry. Still don't believe you," he answered. "Who'd name something Kaiba Cor-por-ashion, anywho? Stupid name."

"That's just cause you're a dick," Kaiba scoffed, flicking Jounouchi's ear. "You're drunk!"

"Am not!" Jounouchi cried, hitting Kaiba again.

Kaiba punched him back although not very hard.

"Ow…" Jounouchi complained. "Meanie."

Kaiba smirked, like a sadistic bastard.

Jounouchi was in trouble. He hadn't meant to drink so much of the human's punch. But he had lost track of time, and reason. His plan had been to make Kaiba drink so Jonouchi could keep his sense for questioning the brunette. So why hadn't it turned out that way?

"Sooooooo, bastard-Kaiba-man, got any secrets?" Jounouchi questioned playfully.

Well that was one way to go about it. Who knows blatantly obvious might actually work.

Kaiba hiccupped again. "Oh yeah. Lots and lots and lots o' secrets. I got a whole ah… whats that called? Van, vat, ah… Vault full of them."

"Tell me one," Jounouchi ordered sternly.

Kaiba made a "pftt!" noise and shoved Jounouchi across the couch. "Noooo, then it's not a secret, _duh_."

Jounouchi scowled at the challenge. He threw himself back across that couch so he was sprawled out, his feet on one end and his head resting on Kaiba's chest.

"Pleeeeeaaase," Jounouchi begged, poking Kaiba in the neck.

"You're touching me," Kaiba complained.

"No, _you're_ touching _me_!" Jounouchi retorted.

Kaiba scoffed. "What are you, a fruit?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "Depends on if you swing that way, darling," the blonde cooed. He twisted around so look up into Kaiba's face.

Kaiba snorted, staring down at the blonde head in his lap.

Jounouchi grinned. "Tell me a secret," he demanded.

"Nope," said Kaiba. His breath was sharp, smelling strongly of the special punch.

"What if I tell you something? Then will you tell me something?" Jounouchi asked.

Kaiba considered this proposal for a moment. "Depends on if it's anything good."

"What if I tell you I have one secret, one really, really, _really_ big secret that you'd never guess in a million billion years?" Jounouchi taunted. His common sense would smack him over the head for that one later. Man, this punch stuff really worked.

Kaiba scoffed. "Only one?"

"Oh yeah? How many secrets do you have, smarty-mouth-pants-man?" Jounouchi slurred, poking Kaiba in the side.

Kaiba had to grab both of Jounouchi's hands to make him stop.

"Hm…" Kaiba looked up to the ceiling, counting in his head.

Jounouchi tried to get his hands free of Kaiba's grip but Kaiba simply held on tighter, both their fingers entangling around each other.

"Three," Kaiba answered finally.

Jounouchi snorted in disbelief. "Liar. You're just trying to be better than me."

"Maybe I just _am_," Kaiba suggested in a low tone, leaning down so Jounouchi could hear him. "Ever think of that?"

His face was really close. Those intense blue eyes were swimming in the air above Jounouchi. The blonde tried to squirm his hands out of Kaiba's grip again, but it didn't work. Kaiba had really slender hands, kinda girly although now they were cutting off the circulation to the rest of Jounouchi's fingers.

"Tell me one of your secrets," the blonde requested, squeezing his hand.

Kaiba's face darkened. "No." Kaiba lifted his head, turning forcefully away. Even now, under the influence of the extraordinary punch, the mighty wall of Kaiba still held. The guy must have been a tank or something.

"Come on, Kaiba-" Jounouchi whined.

"No! I told you _no_! Don't ask me again!" Kaiba snapped, almost frighteningly. He was passing from giggly drunk into mad angry drunk. Jounouchi knew it and still persisted, he'd most likely blame it on the drink later.

"Why not?" Jounouchi asked, pouting and trying in vain to get Kaiba back into his good mood, but it wasn't working. Kaiba was already aggravated.

"_Fuck_ off!" he cried and then actually shoved Jounouchi off the couch. The blonde landed hard on the floor, side aching. The pile of plastic cups at the foot of the couch scattered onto the dance floor. Someone's stray shoe from the dancing mob hit him hard in the face.

"Bitch! What the hell was that for!?" Jounouchi questioned, seriously pissed off. He stood up, ready to pummel Kaiba into a small squishy pulp! But then the room spun and he lost his balance. "Shit…" Jounouchi moaned, arm flying out, trying to stop himself from falling. "Shiiit…" His head really hurt, everything was spinning around him.

A strong arm caught him around the middle and pulled him down, his butt met a familiar cushion, now squishy with spilled punch. There was an arm around his waist, another across his shoulders. The crazy world and loud music were really getting to him. Finally he looked up to find Kaiba watching him with those cold fiery blue eyes of his.

"Shit, Kaiba," Jounouchi groaned. "What'd the hell you have to do that for, prick?"

Kaiba didn't say anything.

Jounouchi looked up, studying him as closely as his drunken eyes would allow. The drink did seem to hold an effect on the cold brunette after all. His stare was narrowed, but between the slits of his eyelids his blue eyes were glassy, pitiful, sad as though he was looking at something dead.

Jounouchi felt a sick that wasn't totally contributed by the punch.

"God, you're a pain," Jounouchi scoffed, lifting a hand dropping it on Kaiba's neat brown hair. Kaiba glared pitifully at him. Jounouchi rolled his eyes and fell over on the side of the couch away from Kaiba, resting his head on his armrest. To his surprise Kaiba followed, lying on top of the blonde, melancholy-like.

Jounouchi ran his hand through Kaiba's brown hair as they both lay there, unnoticed and unseen by the rest of the furious party.

"Whoa," Jounouchi said in amazement.

"What?" Kaiba asked tiredly, voice muffled as he talked against the fabric of Jounouchi's shirt.

"Your hair's really soft!" Jounouchi said, running both hands through it now and messing it up entirely. Jounouchi giggled as he ruffled the hair making Kaiba look very ridiculous.

"Stop it," Kaiba snapped, although not very fiercely.

Jounouchi chuckled. Yep, he was drunk, no question about that now, no way.

"It's all silky and pretty. Do you use conditioner?" Jounouchi questioned. "That's very girly, you know that?"

"You're very annoying, did you know that?" Kaiba growled.

Jounouchi giggled again, his mind caught up in some weird dizzy ecstasy. The room was spinning again, really, _really_ fast now.

"Hey Kaiba, come here," Jounouchi ordered playfully.

"Why?" the bastard questioned skeptically.

"Just come here," Jounouchi insisted, hands abandoning Kaiba's locks to push him up. "I'm going to tell you a secret."

Bad alarms went off in his head but Jounouchi ignored them, Kaiba was just too fun to toy with. Finally Kaiba pulled himself up on his arms, his hands near Jounouchi's head, leaning his entire body over Jounouchi in one shadowy mass. Jounouchi grinned mischievously. He motioned Kaiba to come closer. Kaiba rolled his beautiful blue eyes but obliged.

He was really, _really_ close. Jounouchi's head was spinning, screaming at him to stop, telling him he was about to do something stupid, something really, _really_ stupid. But he was too drunk to care, way too drunk.

"Did you know?" Jounouchi hissed, weaving a hand into Kaiba's hair again, fingers dragging across his scalp, "You have the most delightfully wicked eyes."

Then, before Kaiba could respond or before Jounouchi could even realize what in the seven layers of Hell what was going on, Jounouchi found his and Kaiba's mouths pressing against each other's. Someone must have moved first, Jounouchi just wasn't quite sure who.

It barely lasted a second though before Kaiba's fist connected with the side of his face.

"What the FUCK!?!" Jounouchi screamed before it happened again, the blonde's senses, already screwed up, were going haywire and crazy. "For god's sake, STOP! Freaking, PRICK!" He punched Kaiba back, somewhere on his jaw maybe, Jounouchi hoped he broke it.

"How _dare_ you!" Kaiba snarled, still on top of him, hissing and spitting as he spoke, face bright red with rage. "How dare you fucking _kiss_ me!"

Jounouchi caught his next fist with difficulty. "I didn't fucking kiss you!" Jounouchi shouted back.

"What are you _talking_ about, you just fucking _did it_!?!" Kaiba snarled, striking Jounouchi repetitively on the skull with his free hand. Jounouchi had never heard Kaiba curse so much.

"I did not!" Jounouchi screamed, trying to hit him back and failing miserably. "Get the fuck off of me!" Jounouchi managed to drive his knee underneath Kaiba and kick him to other side of the couch.

"I'll kill you!" Kaiba snarled hatefully, beautiful blue eyes livid. "I'll fucking kill you prick!" He looked capable of it too. "You _kissed_ me!"

Jounouchi scoffed, arms crossed defiantly over his chest. "Prove it," the blonde spat, almost calmly.

Kaiba snapped and dove across the couch for Jounouchi's throat. Jounouchi leapt up to met him this time though, grabbed both Kaiba's wrists, forcing him backward.

Jounouchi was on top now, pinning Kaiba on the other side of the couch. "Stop it!" Jounouchi cried in his face.

Everything was so bad, so wrong. Jounouchi didn't know what he was doing anymore. His head hurt a lot and his stomach had started to churn unpleasantly.

He came back to his senses just in time to find his lips resting against Kaiba's tight mouth again.

He didn't know why Kaiba was so upset. It wasn't even a kiss really. It was actually kind of lifeless and awkward. However Kaiba's hands relaxed, then the rest of his body underneath Jounouchi slowly went limp, sinking back into the cushions.

Jounouchi pulled hastily away, turning to see Kaiba's reaction. The brunette looked stunned, a little pale, floaty. At least his anger had gone for the moment.

"You ok?" Jounouchi asked concerned.

Kaiba didn't answer for a moment, eyes trained on Jounouchi's curious brown ones.

"Hey?" Jounouchi tapped Kaiba's skull impatiently. "Anyone home?"

Kaiba grabbed the blonde's shoulders and rolled himself and Jounouchi onto the floor. Jounouchi was about to cry out in indignation, cursing at Kaiba for throwing him down on the floor again but was cut off by Kaiba climbing clumsy right on top of him, straddling the blonde's waist and furiously forcing his mouth on Jounouchi's.

Yep, they both were drunk. Really, _really_ drunk.

Even though Jounouchi had supposedly kissed Kaiba twice already, he was still extremely stunned. If his common sense hadn't jumped out the window with his conscience hours ago he might have tried to shove Kaiba off right about now. Goes to show how powerful that drink stuff was.

Jounouchi had never kissed a human, before five minutes ago, of course. He had been down to the human world on assignments, but had never had any sexual activities with them. This… this was new. This was… interesting.

Kaiba seemed to be going all out. He was putting so much pressure on Jounouchi that the back of the blonde's head ached on the hard wooden floor below. Then to Jounouchi's own surprise he found himself kissing Kaiba back, grabbing his arms, his shoulders, his head, anything! Jounouchi could feel his own human body responding, almost as though it had been programmed to know exactly how to do this. Kaiba's skin was getting hot, so was his own. Jounouchi's lungs burned for oxygen.

Finally after what seemed like hours, their mouths broke apart, and Jounouchi turned his head away, hot sweaty cheek landing on the cool wooden floor. Both he and Kaiba were breathing furiously. Kaiba had fallen heavily on top of him, mostly out of exhaustion. They both lay there on the pulsing, drumming floor, the crowd of feet and shoes barely feet away.

What was going on? What the fuck was he doing? Jounouchi had no idea.

Something warm and wet was sliding down Jounouchi's neck. Kaiba was doing something to him but Jounouchi was too tired to turn his head to see what it was. It felt good and made Jounouchi's chest go all warm and fuzzy. His stomach gurgled unpleasantly. There was unfamiliar pressure on his chest moving down to his waist.

"Kaiba," Jounouchi called, voice unsteady. Kaiba continued what ever he was trying to do and didn't answer. His hands were tugging at Jounouchi's clothing. "Kaiba," Jounouchi tried again louder. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Taking off your shirt," Kaiba answered in a grunt, looking down at the blonde's waist.

Jounouchi turned his head to glare feebly at the brunette.

"What?" Jounouchi questioned. Alarms were going off, screeching distorted messages at his confused brain. "Why are you…"

There were hands on Jounouchi's unprotected stomach, Kaiba was lifting up Jounouchi's shirt the best he could with one hand. Jounouchi shivered as Kaiba placed his cool hands on his warm skin. His gut churned sickly.

"Kaiba," Jounouchi said more clearly.

Kaiba, once again, didn't answer. The bastard's hot, wet mouth was exploring Jounouchi's bare flesh. It felt _so_ good.

"Kaiba!"

The brunette's hands had traveled up underneath his shirt to his chest.

"Freaking PRICK!" Jounouchi cried loudly and grabbed his hands.

"What!" Kaiba shouted frustrated back, finally looking up to face him.

"I need to puke," Jounouchi said honestly.

Kaiba looked confused. "You what?" he questioned.

"Get off of me! I need to fucking puke!" Jounouchi snapped, squirming out from under the bastard and using an arm of the couch to pull himself up onto his weak legs. His stomach lurched again and Jounouchi clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from spewing chunks right there on Kaiba, although the bastard probably deserved it.

Without looking back, head still spinning, Jounouchi dived recklessly into the dancing crowd, shoving forcefully past them. He had seen a bathroom somewhere around here when he had come in, hadn't he? His stomach couldn't hold much longer. He crashed into the opposite wall across the room, his free trembling hand feeling the wall for some kind of doorway because his eyes were still spinning with his brain.

There, a light not five feet away, someone emerged from a lit room. Jounouchi threw himself inside, skidded on the slick floor and forced his spinning hurting head inside the toilet bowel, emptying the liquidy contents of his stomach.

Jounouchi had never thrown up before. This experience, however, he definitely did _not_ wanted to repeat again. All the muscles in his gut strained and contracted, rippling up toward his mouth.

When he thought his poor muscles couldn't take it anymore, Jounouchi fell backward lying face up on the cool tile floor.

He lay there for a few moments, exhausted, before Kaiba came surging in through the door and did the exact same thing Jounouchi had just finished doing, his back curved, arching over the toilet.

"Gross…" Jounouchi muttered breathlessly, holding his stomach.

Final decision. Special punch bad. Very, _very_ bad.

After Jounouchi's muscles relaxed, he actually felt better, or at least he didn't feel nauseous anymore.

Kaiba collapsed against the bathroom wall, chest heaving as he breathed.

Jounouchi managed to peel his trembling, shivering body off the floor and crawl over to the sink. Struggling to lift himself to his knees, Jounouchi splashed some water on his face and into his mouth, not swallowing though because he wasn't sure his stomach could take it.

Kaiba still hadn't moved from the wall though his breathing had gone down somewhat. Jounouchi threw some water at him to wake him up.

"Wash your mouth out," Jounouchi croaked in a raspy voice, falling down into a sitting position again. "You'll feel better."

Just as Jounouchi had done, Kaiba crawled to the sink on his hands and knees. So the bastard had limits, that was nice to know. Kaiba dunked his head under the running water and then spit the water forcefully out of his mouth, splashing it everywhere.

He fell down next to Jounouchi, leaning on him. Jounouchi did the same. It was a weird sort of support system.

"I feel like shit," Jounouchi moaned disgustedly.

Kaiba snorted, vibrations traveling into Jounouchi's side. "You look like shit," he commented dryly, resting his head on Jounouchi's shoulder.

"You look like shit… normally," Jounouchi countered. He was really too tired to argue coherently right now.

Jounouchi looked down at Kaiba. The bastard's eyes were closed. It looked like he was sleeping. Jounouchi was actually surprised at how peaceful the bastard looked.

"You awake?" Jounouchi asked. Kaiba opened one red lined eye to glance upward.

Their gazes met.

Jounouchi tried not to breathe. What was this? What was this weird rushing of blood in his ears? Why was he still sitting here? This was Kaiba, wasn't it? Wasn't it? Kaiba? But who was Kaiba? God, his head hurt too much to think.

Something beeped in Kaiba's pocket. The bastard had to turn his head away to check it. A pager? The world starting swimming again. Did Kaiba feel this way too? It'd be damn unfair if he didn't.

"Come on, our ride's here," Kaiba urged. He grabbed the edge of the sink and managed to get shakily onto his feet.

"What ride?" Jounouchi whined. He was too tired, he didn't want to move.

"I'm taking you home," Kaiba explained, pulling Jounouchi's arm.

Jounouchi allowed himself to be forced into a standing position. Kaiba had a strong arm across Jounouchi's shoulders and Jounouchi wrapped his arm around Kaiba's waist. They supported each other out of the bathroom.

The air around Jounouchi lurched, blackness crowding the edges of his vision. He and Kaiba were inside, stumbling through the noisy, disgusting, human-packed house.

Then another lurch. Jounouchi and Kaiba were outside. The freezing night air smacked the blonde in the face. Jounouchi moaned as his knees weakened, but Kaiba caught him before the blonde could tumble them both over.

"Just a little further," Jounouchi heard Kaiba grunt in a voice somewhere close to his ear. Jounouchi held on tighter to Kaiba's waist and began to walk again. They stumbled across the damp green lawn.

Another flash of darkness, another blackout and the two of them fell against the limo's body in relief, both panting. Jounouchi's disjointed brain couldn't take much more.

Somehow Kaiba must have pulled him off the limo and into the vehicle because the next thing Jounouchi remembered was lying on a long black leather car bench and the sound of a car door slamming shut behind him. Jounouchi heard Kaiba's slurred, raspy voice giving the driver instructions. Then the world dropped again just as Jounouchi felt the limo lurch into motion.

There was a split second of panic. Jounouchi seriously thought he was losing his mind. Would the black outs keep on coming until Jounouchi slipped into a coma? He felt as though he had suddenly because deaf and blind all at once. He couldn't even remember where he was anymore. What he was doing and where had he gone?

One small thought, one small idea was all Jounouchi could remember.

"Kaiba?" Jounouchi moaned questioningly, groping the dark air inside the limo, inside the void of his deteriorating mind. It was cold and he couldn't see anything. Kaiba hadn't left him, had he? Jounouchi hadn't blacked out just in time for Kaiba to leave his unconscious body in a ditch somewhere, right?

But all fears disappeared as a large warm body collapsed down beside him on the car bench.

"Jounouchi…" Kaiba's voice was soft, breathless, sending pleasant shivers throughout the blonde's body. Hands searched for Jounouchi's face. They found it eventually. Jounouchi pulled Kaiba's shoulders closer, their bodies pressing up against each other's. He had to feel something, hold onto something in case he slipped away into eternal nothingness. Jounouchi's body trembled as he accepted Kaiba's fearsome kisses.

Jounouchi had thought he was worn out, dead tired, ready to pass out but apparently not. Apparently there was still a lot more energy left in there. A whole lot.

Kaiba's skin was getting hot again. He rolled on top of Jounouchi and kissed him harder, tongue coaxing Jounouchi's into action, his hands traveling under the blonde's clothing, his shirt riding up to expose his chest again. Jounouchi actually struggled to take the dreaded thing off himself, pulling it over his head and dropping it somewhere on the limo floor.

Bits and pieces of the car ride flickered sharply in his mind, coming back to him in incoherent flashes. It was all a dizzy mess of tangled sweaty limbs and hot pungent smelling breath.

One specific time Jounouchi remembered clearly though. The car had come to a stop and the driver had said something like, "We've arrived Kaiba-sama."

Kaiba came up for air, reached over Jounouchi and punched a button on the wall.

"Drive arou-" Jounouchi bit a tender spot of skin and Kaiba had to fight not to let out a moan into the speaker. "Drive around the block!" Kaiba ordered fiercely.

"Ah... where, Kaiba-sama?" the driver asked very confused.

"Anywhere!" Kaiba snarled and then rejoined Jounouchi on the bench again.

That was about the last thing Jounouchi remembered before he completely blacked out.

…)(-)-( Intoxication )-(-)(…

Atemu heard the door to the apartment open. He hoped it was Ryou. He had left almost three hours ago. And Atemu was worried.

To his relief a white haired head poked itself around a wall to greet him.

"Hey," said Ryou simply, but Atemu wasn't fooled. Even through his human disguise, Atemu could tell Ryou's demon skin was glowing with a new healthy sheen. His normally pale human face was practically radiant.

It looked like he had thoroughly enjoyed himself.

"What did you do?" Atemu asked.

Ryou shrugged, not looking at Atemu directly.

"I just flew around a bit," Ryou admitted casually. "It was fun, I haven't done that in a long time."

Atemu was not convinced; there was something Ryou wasn't telling him.

All the sudden their conversation was interrupted by another knock on the door.

"A visitor? This late?" Atemu questioned, looking up at the clock. It was almost 2 in the morning.

"I'll get it," Ryou offered and walked into the other room to the front door. Atemu heard the front door open again as he put his homework books back into his school bag.

"Jounouchi-kun!" Atemu heard Ryou exclaim, his voice strained as though actually terrified. Atemu dropped whatever he was holding and rushed over.

There was Jounouchi alright. He was unconscious, curled slightly on his back as though someone had actually carried him to their doorstep. His clothes and hair were a mess, all wrinkled and thrown about as though he had gotten in a violent brawl with five other humans, there were even bruises scattered throughout his skin.

Ryou was pulling him into the apartment by his underarms and as soon as Atemu saw what he was doing he rushed in to help. Between the two of them they managed to pick Jounouchi up, carry him to his room and lie him down on his own bed.

"How'd he get like this?" Ryou asked, wiping the cumulating sweat off Jounouchi's face with a cool washcloth.

"We'll ask him when he wakes up," Atemu said gravely, digging through a large wooden cupboard on the other side of the room. "For now give him this." He tossed Ryou a bottle of thick green liquid. "It should speed his recovery." Ryou nodded, pulled Jounouchi's head up so it was at least levitated from the rest of his body and poured a mouth full of the fouling smelling contents down Jounouchi's throat.

* * *

…)(-)-( Intoxication )-(-)(…

* * *

I know, I know. WOAH! Right? Super awesome chapter? Well, you would be correct. 

Jounouchi is such a silly boy. Kaiba, oh Kaiba, you're so confused.

Ryou is a beast! A BEAST I TELL YOU!! No one really likes Mai anyway. She had it coming, especially after that craptasticness in Doom Arch. "Oh, I lost, boo hoo boo hoo. So many boys love me but I'm too emo to care." Basically. Sorry for ruining Doom Arch for you but that's what happens.

NEXT CHAPTER: WOAH! Jounouchi wakes up. Bakura throws a fit and desecrates Kaiba's office. Yugi likes toast, like most reasonable people. And Malik is having a little crisis involving sweet buns. Kaiba isn't super compliant, in fact you might say that he's an ass, and you would correct. (You know why this story is so long because its not one story, IT'S THREE!)

As usual: **REVIEW!!** I can't think of anything creative and psychological to get you to review subconsciously but maybe this will work.

**REVIEW!!**


	7. Medication

Shoo, I am late. Latelatelatelate. Bad author. I didn't even update **Empathy**. Tisk tisk.

Story's getting complicated. Ooooo… Subtlety... Oooo… Implications. Exciting stuff.

No cups were smashed, no potion was spilled, and no bishis choked during the writing of this fic. Although there are always accidents…

**

* * *

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**Chyaputa 7: Medication**

1. something that treats or prevents or alleviates the symptoms of disease

2. the act of treating with medicines or remedies

* * *

Yugi had just opened the Sunday paper when his cell phone rang. He rubbed his tired eyes; it was barely nine o'clock in the morning. It took a few moments of digging around in his backpack before he found the machine. 

"Hello," Yugi yawned into the receiver.

"Yugi-sama, I have something I have to show you," the rough tone was unmistakably Kaiba's. "Would you come over for a moment?" His voice was different, lower, more strained, tired? Had something happened to Kaiba? That woke Yugi up immediately.

"Sure, I'll be there in five minutes," Yugi said and hung up, hastily stuffing the last bite of his toast into his mouth and throwing his dishes into the sink.

"Bakura-kun!" he cried urgently as he ran up the stairs. There was no answer. He was probably still asleep. "Bakura-kun!" Yugi cried slamming the door open.

The ball of wild snow-white hair in the mix of tangled blankets did not move. Yugi ran up to the bed and began shaking Bakura violently to wake him. "Bakura-kun. It's Kaiba, he's _got_ something." Yugi explained urgently, shaking Bakura harder. "Wake up!" The being twisted inside the layers of blankets, groaned then shifted around so that his sleepy wrinkled face turned to face Yugi.

"Fuck… Kaiba," Bakura grumbled, mouth dry, eyes still closed. He wrapped an arm around his pillow and got ready for another round of sleep.

"Oh no you don't," Yugi ordered firmly and yanked the pillow from right underneath Bakura's head. "Get up or I'll make you," Yugi threatened.

Bakura growled in irritation, pulling the blankets up over his head.

Yugi rolled his eyes. "You asked for it."

Calling on some of his angelic strength from within his human skin, Yugi grabbed Bakura around the middle, blankets and all, and picked him forcefully up into the air so that he was hanging there over Yugi's head.

"Come on," Yugi said walking out of Bakura's bedroom with Bakura still in the air.

"Does this mean you're going to carry me all the way there?" Bakura asked, curling what was the left of the blankets around himself.

"Only if you want to appear before Kaiba dressed in only your boxers and a blanket," Yugi told him.

Yugi heard Bakura make a whiny impatient sound above him.

"Put me the hell down!" Bakura hissed, squirming. Yugi dropped him right there in the middle of the hall and the white haired teenager landed squarely on his ass, blanket falling off his mostly unclothed body. Bakura shot Yugi an ugly miserable look under the unclean mess of his white hair, grumbled something dark under his breath before storming grumpily back into his room to get changed.

Five minutes later, Bakura emerged from his room, fully clothed but just as cranky.

"Where the fuck are we going?" Bakura asked with a yawn, scratching his stomach tiredly.

"To Kaiba's," said Yugi, grabbing Bakura's hand and getting ready for teleportation.

Bakura scoffed. "I hate that bastard."

"So I've heard," said Yugi offhandedly, taking a hold of the communication crystal inside the phone again. "Hold on." Yugi twisted to the side, bringing the reluctant Bakura along with him. The room spun for a split second before Kaiba's luxurious business office materialized around them. Kaiba was sitting at his desk, eyes trained on his computer screen.

"How come we've got to live in that dinky game shop and Kaiba's got all this dammed space?" Bakura grumbled.

Kaiba looked up, his icy stare landing on Bakura. "I didn't ask _him_ to come."

"I didn't _want_ to come," Bakura spat back.

"I thought it sounded urgent," Yugi answered with a shrug.

Bakura picked some wax out of his inner ear moodily and flicked it onto Kaiba's fancy carpet.

"What have you got for us?" Yugi asked professionally.

Kaiba turned back to his computer. "The police found a woman in downtown Domino on Friday," Kaiba explained, launching straight into his report.

"Oh well, _that's_ unusual," Bakura scoffed.

"She was murdered," Kaiba continued just as spitefully.

"Humans kill each other all the time," Bakura growled.

"If you would allow me to finish my report _without_ comment!" Kaiba snarled angrily, hands slamming upon the desk surface, "Maybe I would be able to get to the _actual_ point more quickly!"

Bakura frowned, unmoved by Kaiba's sudden outburst.

Yugi, however, was surprised. Bakura and Kaiba got on each other's nerves a lot, yes, but Bakura was the one who always lost his temper and it was never seriously. Yugi had never _ever_ seen Kaiba lose his nerve. This was odd.

"The woman's body was mutilated," Kaiba continued stiffly, settling back into his chair, "She was found with two deep cuts in her back." He opened something on his computer then turned the monitor around so the other two could see. Both Bakura and Yugi's eyes widened in shock this time. Cold horror gripped Yugi's heart, freezing his lungs.

"It… oh god, it couldn't…" Yugi mouthed.

There on the screen was what looked like torso and head of a naked human female lying face down on a cold metal examination table. The large jagged slash marks ripped through her flesh appeared black against her pale blue-white dead skin. It looked as though she had been attacked by some kind of wild animal. There were two predominant wounds on her back, both very deep and wide as though a huge chuck of flesh had been forcefully removed.

But Bakura and Yugi weren't looking at the wounds, their eyes had moved up from her back to the woman's facial features. Her head had been turned to the side, makeup-covered face squashed against the metal table, long golden hair pulled to the side.

"Mai…" Yugi gaped.

"You know this woman?" Kaiba questioned.

"We met her, only two days ago," Yugi answered, voice thin.

Bakura's white hair hide his face and expression from view.

"I have the body in my custody," Kaiba said, practically as though this event happened every day. "The humans won't find anything else but another dead hooker."

Yugi nodded soundlessly, eyes falling to the floor.

"She was found on Friday and you're just telling us now?" Bakura growled. "That's an awfully long time."

Kaiba's face hardened. "I had tests to do, to make sure she was one of us."

"_Bullshit_!" Bakura turned and slammed his hands on the desk just as Kaiba had done moments before, his expression furious, eyes dangerously unstable. "Your _duty_ should have been to tell Yugi right away! Your _commanding officer_, remember!? Funny, I don't remember _hearing_ anything!"

"Do you have any idea how many careful procedures I had to follow to get that body here?" Kaiba growled, eyes icy and cruel. "How many countless meticulous steps I had to take so the humans wouldn't suspect where the body was being confiscated to or so that I myself am not tied to it?"

"And you couldn't manage a mere five second phone call?" Bakura sneered hatefully but at this point Yugi put a hand on Bakura's arm.

"We're all stressed out about this," Yugi said calmly. "The most important thing is for us to keep our heads. Mai didn't know anything important. The mission is still safe. I'm sure Kaiba did the best he could."

Bakura scoffed and ripped himself away from Yugi and Kaiba's desk, dark violet eyes drilling holes in an expensive looking couch.

There was silence as Bakura and Kaiba fumed out their remaining anger.

"Are you sure?" Bakura gritted in a low voice, not turning to look at either of his companions. Kaiba folded his hands, fingers interlocking with each other. "Are you sure her wings were…"

"Almost 85 percent positive. You can check the body yourself it you want," Kaiba said, observing Bakura coolly over the top of his hands.

Yugi turned to Bakura slowly. "Bakura, could you…" Yugi began almost apologetically but Bakura had already turned toward the door before Yugi could finish his sentence.

"The guards will lead you downstairs," said Kaiba as Bakura soundlessly left the room. The door clicked ominously shut behind him.

Yugi lifted his stare up from the carpet to look at Kaiba, purple eyes examining him. "Kaiba…" Yugi walked forward so he was standing right in front of the desk.

Kaiba was reading some papers, fist clenched and resting on the files' surface.

"What happened to you?" Yugi asked solemnly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kaiba said, voice forcefully even, eyes trained fiercely on the paper in front of him.

"You're reading that paper upside down, you know," Yugi mentioned simply.

Kaiba scowled and angrily shoved the documents away from himself, sending them flying off the desk. Definitely not the normal, cool acting Kaiba.

"Here, let me heal you." Yugi moved around the desk.

Kaiba sat rigidly in his chair, his hands gripped the armrests and his twisted face facing down as though he were trying to hide himself from the humiliation.

Yugi held up his hands, palms towards Kaiba's chest. His fingers glowed with a soft white light as they worked their magic. Kaiba's muscles immediately relaxed, hands loosened on the armrests.

'This is probably why he called me and why he couldn't tell us about the body sooner,' Yugi thought.

"Your human skin is full of toxic chemicals," Yugi commented, closing his eyes and searching Kaiba's human blood. "Your angel presence makes it harder for your human body to remove the substance as efficiently as usual." Yugi suddenly flinched in realization. "Alcohol?" Yugi cracked open an eye to see Kaiba's reaction, to look for some kind of explanation but Kaiba gave none. His mouth thinned in irritation, eyes remained closed.

"It's nothing," Kaiba insisted firmly. Slowly Yugi's magic began to scrub Kaiba's blood clean, eating away at the harmful contaminants.

"Kaiba…" Yugi pleaded.

"It was stupid!" Kaiba growled, suddenly angry. "Just a stupid _prank_…" Hate steamed in his caustic voice, hands tightening on the armrests again as though trying to break them off. "It will_ not_ happen again, Yugi-sama. I assure you." His whole body tensed, making it hard for Yugi's healing magic to enter him properly.

"Do you have any other bad symptoms besides your eye sight and emotions?" Yugi asked kindly, cutting off his story to try to calm him down again.

"Only when I stand up."

"That should wear off after I clean out your system," Yugi answered.

A few more minutes passed in silence. Finally Yugi's hands dimmed and fell to his sides.

"That's as much as I can do for now," Yugi explained, rubbing his temples. The exhaustion of using his healing abilities was already settling in. Kaiba nodded mutely and turned back to his computer, eyes less feverish and more focused. Yugi was glad. "I'll come back and finish the rest tomorrow."

"I wouldn't want to be a nuisance, Yugi-sama," said Kaiba, not looking at his superior.

"It's no problem. I'll come around five, ok?" Yugi agreed and moved out from behind the desk. "We need you in top shape after all. Just don't return to your original form for a week or so just to be on the safe side." Kaiba said nothing. "Well, I'd better get Bakura. It's probably not healthy for him to stand in front of a corpse for that long." Yugi inched toward the door.

"Thank you, Yugi-sama," Kaiba grunted, still not looking at him.

Yugi smiled. He knew how hard it was for Kaiba to say that.

"You're welcome," Yugi answered and ducked out Kaiba's office door, closing the door softly behind him.

To his surprise, Yugi found Bakura sitting at the bottom of the fancy stairs next to the front door, waiting for him. Maybe he hadn't even gone down to see the corpse at all, Yugi didn't know. He was crouched on the very last step, legs folded next to his body, glaring at the shiny floor. Yugi stopped beside him and sat down on the same step as his friend.

"The Council will track down her soul," Yugi reassured weakly.

"No, they won't," Bakura scoffed, voice cold as stone. "You know that. They wouldn't go through the trouble for an illegal drug dealer. The Council would only bother if it was someone they thought they could _use_ later." Bakura stood up, hands stuffed angrily into his pockets.

Yugi gulped. He knew Bakura was probably right but still… there had to be a hope, right? Somewhere?

"That idiotic woman!" Bakura kicked the wall, hard. The impact echoed throughout the building. "Even after our warning! And we didn't _do_ a fucking thing! Just sat there and _let_ it fucking happen!"

"We tried," Yugi said, in a small voice. "If she didn't listen to us there was nothing more that we could do."

"We could have arrested her, taken her back by force!" Bakura cried, pacing the floor furiously.

"We didn't have authorization," Yugi protested.

"Damn authorization!" Bakura screamed, hair flying in his rage. "Damn the laws! We're just as bad as the dammed, fucking Council!"

"Bakura!" Yugi cried. He stood up as well and put a hand on his friend's shoulder, which was level with the top of Yugi's head. "We just have to accept it. Blaming people isn't going to solve anything…" But Bakura wasn't listening. His breathing was so fierce that the air hissed as it passed through his barred teeth.

"Is that what the Council taught you to do?" Bakura chewed hatefully. "Let it go? Things like this just happen all the time, do they?"

Yugi was hurt. "Bakura…"

The three-thousand-year-old angel was trembling.

"There is nothing more disgusting, nothing more… _vile_ then tearing off an angel's wings," Bakura growled. "It turns you into something less than human… less than existence…"

Yugi leaned his head against Bakura's bronze skinned arm gravely. Bakura flinched at the kind touch.

"I know," Yugi muttered.

"Who would _do_ something like that?" Bakura snarled. His voice was thick, raspy, and tired. Yugi's fingers tightened unconsciously on his friend's shoulder.

…)(-)-( Medication )-(-)(…

Ryou stared down into Jounouchi's sleeping face, large brown eyes searching for any sign of life or movement. Jounouchi's left eyelid twitched.

"I think he's dreaming," Ryou guessed. Across the room, Atemu was busily grinding up special amounts of herbs, whatever plants he had brought with him to the human world.

"Either way, this will wake him up," Atemu explained and emptied the dried out leaves into a small pot of already boiling purple substance. Ryou eyed the mixture uneasily.

"You sure that won't poison him?" Ryou asked.

Atemu gave Ryou an obvious look. "I think I know my own trade well enough not to poison him."

Ryou smiled. "Sorry, but you know me. I've never trusted potions very much."

Atemu turned back to his medicine. He knew exactly why Ryou didn't like potions. The Master didn't want his favorite drink to get polluted.

Most demons still preferred the old fashion method of healing by blood transfusions, but Atemu was a good enough potions maker that his medicines were of use in some cases where blood just wouldn't do.

Atemu picked up a knife from the table and held it up to his other hand. All potions had some amount of demon blood in them so that they could be digested easier.

"I'll do it," Ryou offered standing up and holding out his hand.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," Atemu said. "I don't know if Jounouchi's body could handle the Master's toxins the way yours does."

Ryou paused and looked down at his hand. He shrugged, rather than be offended, and sat back down at Jounouchi's side. Atemu dragged the blade across his palm, creating a large slice. Several drops of blood dripped sluggishly down the knife's edge into his foul mixture.

Ryou's stomach couldn't help but lurch hungrily at the aroma. How long had it been since he had fed on real _demon_ blood? Ryou had drained that angel woman after he had turned her human but it wasn't the same. Human blood was weak, unripe.

Demon blood however…

Ryou bit the inside of his own cheek to keep his demonic instincts in check.

Atemu finished and sealed off the cut on his hand with a black balm. He then lifted the small pot of boiling potion off the tiny magical fire and poured its contents carefully into a cup. Ryou turned his head away, nose wrinkling from the vile smell of Atemu's concoction.

"Now if we're lucky, this will wake him up," Atemu announced. He sat on the edge of the bed and held the cup of the potion under Jounouchi's nostrils; the blonde's nose twitched at the stench. "That'll do. Open his mouth, would you?" Ryou obliged, prying Jounouchi's mouth gently open with his pale fingers. Atemu poured the thick, substance down the Count's throat.

A few seconds passed. Atemu let the potion to drain down through Jounouchi's throat. The Soldier was just about to pour another mouthful when Jounouchi let out a giant coughing-choking noise and sprang out of Ryou's hold into a sit up position, golden eyes wide and blood shot.

"F-fuck!" Jounouchi gaped, still coughing. "Fucking shit!"

"At least he's alert," Atemu commented dryly.

"What the _fuck_ are you trying to do? Kill me with that _crap_?" Jounouchi spat.

Atemu frowned, trying not to portray that his pride had been hurt. "This _crap_, as you so politely put it, is my most powerful mixture and it's the only thing that's going to get you out this bed within the next week," Atemu scolded briskly, shoving the cup into Jounouchi's hands. "Now that you're awake you can drink it yourself."

Jounouchi looked at the contents of the cup with total revulsion. "Why? Can't I just have a blood transfusion?" he whined, holding the potion away at arms length.

"Because you're problem isn't blood loss; your blood's all there, it just needs to be cleaned out," Atemu explained.

Jounouchi cocked an eyebrow in speculation. "What are you, a doctor?" he grumbled.

"In a way, yes," Atemu answered simply. That shut Jounouchi up.

"Do you know what day it is, Jounouchi-kun?" Ryou asked politely.

"What day? Of course I know what day it is. It's, ah…" Jounouchi paused, looking back into his memory. Everything was kinda jumbled. He remembered going to ice cream shop with Yugi, Atemu, Honda and Otogi on Friday then coming home and working on… the… poster…

And then it all came back to him in a flash. The whole party, the mysterious punch, the dancing humans, Kaiba finding him…

'Oh god… Kaiba…' Jounouchi's face paled. His head spun and he placed both hands on his head to make it stop. Something crashed to the floor. Kaiba, oh _god_, Kaiba. Oh, fucking hell _Kaiba_! Why Kaiba? Oh why the hell did it _have_ to be Kaiba? What the FUCK had he been thinking?

"Jounouchi!" Someone was shaking him. "Snap out of it!" Something hit him across the face. His cheek stung, the pain slowly bringing him back to reality.

Atemu was standing over him, one hand gripping Jounouchi's shoulder tightly the other raised in case he had to strike the blonde again. Crouched down on the floor, Ryou picked up the pieces of the glass from the cup Jounouchi had dropped. Potion was spilled all over the floor, its acidic properties turning the wooden floorboards oily colors.

"I'm fine," Jounouchi mumbled, trying to push Atemu away, but his arms were so wobbly he could barely manage it. "I'm fine, really. I just need to get up-" Jounouchi tried to pull himself out of bed, but everything suddenly got very dizzy.

"Then tell me, Count Jounouchi," Atemu demanded with unusual sternness as he forced the blonde back into the bed. "Why you had more than .11 percent alcohol content in your blood stream?" Jounouchi's face turned away. Ryou sat down on the edge of the bed, waiting patiently.

"I might have taken my research a little… far," Jounouchi grumbled reluctantly.

"Really? Do you think so?" Atemu snapped, and Jounouchi had never heard the Soldier use sarcasm before. "Do you have any idea what a large amount of alcohol does to the human skin of a Higher Being?"

"Atemu-kun," Ryou began but his friend ignored him.

"It doesn't just affect your skin in the normal human ways, with Higher Beings it becomes impossible to tell the difference between your human skin and your demon self! If you tried to change into your demon form, the transformation could go horribly wrong!" Atemu scolded furiously. "You could have put our entire lives in jeopardy! The secrecy of our mission and the entire demonic and angelic kind!"

"Don't you think your exaggerating a little bit?" Jounouchi asked bitterly but returned to silence after a harsh look from Atemu.

"This is serious, Jounouchi-kun," Ryou said gravely. "You can't be so reckless. It's not safe for you to return to your true form for at least another week. And the effects of the drug will last longer then with normal humans. Without Atemu's medicine the alcohol wouldn't leave your system for another month."

"Ok, ok, I get it!" Jounouchi cried throwing himself back down on the bed and turning furiously away from back of his friends. "I'm an idiot! I screwed up!"

"We just want you to be careful…" Ryou pleaded.

"Well, I think you made that _perfectly_ clear," Jounouchi snapped, his attitude ringing through his voice.

Atemu and Ryou looked at each other in a way that made Jounouchi murderous.

"You'll have to drink a glass every two hours if you want to be in school tomorrow," Atemu said, already filling up another cup. "I'll leave some potion out for you."

'School?' Jounouchi thought. Kaiba would be at school. Kaiba was in every single one of his god-forsaken classes. There was no way they would be able to avoid each other for very long. And Kaiba was his partner for the science project. 'And I left the poster at Otogi's house…' Jounouchi realized. He numbly heard the sound of glass hitting against wood as Atemu set a fresh bubbling cup of medicine on his bed stand.

"Try to get some sleep for now," said Atemu.

A set of fading footsteps told Jounouchi that Atemu had left. But Ryou, apparently, had something more to say.

"Jounouchi-kun," Ryou's soft voice said. "I saw the bruises."

"What bruises?" Jounouchi asked, genuinely confused.

Ryou gave the blonde a somber look. He reached forward and tugged a fold of the blanket. There was Jounouchi's inner arm, three bruises imprinted on his smooth skin. They were shaped oddly like ovals, like fingers.

Jounouchi's face paled, a slow paralyzing shock worked its way into his chest.

"You're fucking kidding me!"

"There's another one on your neck," Ryou pointed out awkwardly. "Um, you might want to do something about that, you know before school tomorrow…"

"Shit!" Jounouchi self consciously pulled the covers up to his nose. "What the hell am I going to do?"

"Oh, Atemu's got this cream stuff," Ryou offered, getting up from the bed and grabbing the jar of black balm from the table. "It really works too, just don't breathe in the fumes too much." He handed it to Jounouchi.

"Thanks…" Jounouchi grumbled, face reddening by the second.

"No problem," Ryou reassured with a smile, inching to towards the door. "Well… I'll just leave you to your, um, clean up. Get lots of rest."

"I will," Jounouchi moaned.

Ryou walked out of the room and was just about to close the door when he poked his head back in.

"Ah… make sure to use that, ah, stuff everywhere… ok?" Ryou advised before disappearing and shutting the door.

Jounouchi was totally speechless for a while.

'Damn,' Jounouchi cursed as he unscrewed the lid of the black balm, 'Why is Ryou so dammed perceptive all the time? Its like he knows everything.'

…)(-)-( Medication )-(-)(…

How had this happened?

How the hell had it come to this? Everything had been just fine and dandy until…Why was _he_ even here? What was going on?

"Malik, you going to eat that?" Bakura growled, laying sideway across a bench and pointing to the unopened sweet roll at the Egyptian's feet.

"Oh, ah, no," muttered Malik, passing the desert to him. Bakura snatched the roll from his hand and then tore the plastic covering off the dessert.

Malik's bright violet eyes turned on to Ryou again, narrowing distrustfully.

It was lunchtime. Normally during lunch Bakura and Malik would eat their food outside on the bleachers that looked over the freshmen gym class. But recently…

'Recently…' Malik's teeth clenched frustratingly. 'Recently Ryou's been following us here. What makes him think he can just tag along? I certainly didn't invite him. Bakura certainly wouldn't invite him. Bakura wouldn't go near anyone else with a ten-foot pole… except me.'

Maybe it was silly but Malik had taken pride in being the only person Bakura would talk to. Granted, after speeding through a record number of dates in a single week, Bakura had already worked up a reputation of being a playboy, so not many people would talk to him anyway, but there was always the occasional slut who would invite him to a party or something. Naturally Bakura would just glare hatefully at them until they went away. It was beautiful.

'But he'd never make me go away,' Malik reminded himself. 'I'm the only one he talks to, before and after that disaster at the movie theater.' Malik winced. The memory of his night with Bakura wasn't pleasant. 'But now…'

There was Ryou, just sitting all innocent-like with his sandwich, legs crossed peacefully as though he wasn't ruining anyone's life. Malik barely knew Ryou, yet he had liked him when they had first met. The teen had a nice, had calming vibe about him. He was polite. But Bakura had gone out with him on one of his dates and Ryou was the first one to come back, besides Malik, of course.

'But it doesn't make any sense!' Malik told himself for the thousandth time. 'Bakura never actually _likes_ any of the people he goes out with! I mean, Ryou's not even his type, if Bakura has a type…'

'What? And you are?' his critical side asked.

Malik looked down at the aluminum bench below him. 'I don't know, maybe… maybe I could be…' But even in his head his words sounded pitiful. 'I helped him when he first got here, I'm the only one he talks to.'

'Not anymore…'

"You don't you think so, right, Malik?" The sound of his own name brought him back to reality.

"Sorry, what?" Malik asked, looking up.

"That I should get my hair cut," Ryou repeated toying with the ends of his long white locks.

"It'll make you look less girlie," Bakura taunted cruelly. Ryou flushed and elbowed Bakura in the side.

It must have been some inside joke. Malik's heart sank. He had never had an inside joke with Bakura.

"So it'll look like yours?" Ryou asked.

"No," Bakura snorted, stuffing the rest of the sweet bun into his mouth and swallowing. "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"I think it looks better long," Malik put in, joining the conversation.

Bakura scowled and shot Malik a half glare. "Nobody asked you."

Malik's heart dropped a couple more inches.

Ryou smiled. "Thank you, Malik."

"Ne-san's always trying to get me to cut mine too," Malik admitted with a shrug. "I'd hate it if it was short."

Across the school grounds the bell rang. Ryou got briskly to his feet, picking up their trash.

"I have to hurry, I've got a big test coming up in Chemistry," and then Ryou trotted down the stairs ahead of the two of them. Bakura grunted in response as he pulled himself to his feet lazily. Malik hung back, tying his shoelace, waiting for white-haired friend.

Bakura was so… so energetic around Ryou, yet so relaxed. Was he like that around Malik as well? Maybe he was just imaging it. Bakura couldn't like Ryou more than him, could he?

'He might. He may even… actually…'

'Don't think that!' Malik ordered himself, eyes squeezing tight. He still had some kind of a chance, didn't he? Some tiny little chance? Maybe… But Bakura acted sometimes as if he didn't even like him! Maybe he didn't.

'That's not true. I helped him.'

'You clung to him when he didn't want you to.'

'I know things about him, like that list thing. No one else knows about that.'

'You only know 'cause you were peering over his shoulder when he didn't want you to.'

'He cheered me up when I was sad! He told me he liked me!' Malik's chest swelled. That's right! Malik had forgotten all about that event! Of course there was still hope! Bakura never actually said he would never go out with Malik again. After all Bakura had only gone out with Ryou once, right? That meant Ryou was on the same level as he was. Ryou was just a friend like Malik was just a friend, at least for now.

'Maybe I should make the move this time?' Malik held his breath as he turned to walk beside his bronze-skinned friend back into the school building. Something inside of his gut was dancing. Malik took one last deep breath and plunged in.

"Um… Bakura," Malik began.

"Hm?" Bakura grunted distractedly.

"Do you… would you, ah…" Crap, this was harder than he had expected. He just had to jump in, that was it, get it over with. "Would you like to go out to dinner with me?" Malik asked, voice breathless, not daring to look anywhere but the ground. Bakura's footsteps came to a stop beside him.

"Why?" Bakura questioned, suspicion etched in his face as he examined Malik.

"Well… I just figured, you know… It might be nice to see each other outside of school," Malik mumbled nervously, eyes shut tight waiting for rejection. There was a pause then Bakura suddenly started walking again.

"Dinner, huh?" Bakura repeated, pondering. So he hadn't rejected Malik yet. This was a good sign. Malik's stomach contracted with anticipation.

"Yeah! There's this nice place downtown, it's got really good food…" Malik explained.

"Who's paying?" Bakura questioned harshly. Malik finally had to courage to glance up. Bakura was looking down the sidewalk towards the school doors.

"Ah… I guess I'll pay," Malik answered.

Bakura shrugged. "Alright then."

"A-alright?" Malik choked, then cleared his throat furiously. "You'll go?"

"Sure," Bakura replied casually as he opened the school doors and stepped inside. Malik ran to catch up with him, knees trembling excitedly.

"Great!" Malik exclaimed. "Is Saturday good with you?"

"Yeah…" Bakura muttered off-handedly. His dark violet eyes were fixed down the hall, looking at something. "Hey. Let's bring Ryou."

Malik's mouth dropped open in disbelief.

"B-bring Ryou?" Malik questioned incredulously. Bring someone else along!? On a _date_? Especially _Ryou_? Did Bakura even know what he was suggesting?

Bakura scowled and glared at Malik accusingly.

"What? You don't like him?" he asked harshly.

"No! I mean, I like Ryou. Really I do," Malik insisted awkwardly. "I was just hoping it would be the two of us… you know…"

"It will be more fun with more people," Bakura stated as if this was a proven fact. Malik hesitated, he could feel the perspiration forming at the sides of his face as he fought Bakura's sharp stare.

"Well… sure, ah, if you want him to come…" Malik mumbled weakly, as always unable to resist Bakura for long.

"Good, I'll tell him." And with that Bakura ran off down the hall, probably hoping to catch Ryou before he entered his next class. Malik just stood there in the middle of the hallway for a few moments, confused, frustrated and extremely disappointed.

'That wasn't exactly what I had in mind…' Malik protested, in a thought that was heard by no one except himself.

…)(-)-( Medication )-(-)(…

"Hey," Atemu greeted. Yugi turned and smiled in greeting.

"Hey. I didn't know you were in this class."

"Oh, I wasn't," Atemu agreed, sitting down at the table next to Yugi. "I need an art credit and I really wanted to drop that improv class. I guess they just put me in here."

"Improv?" Yugi asked, leaning his head on hand and looking at Atemu sideways. "What's that?" Atemu winced at the memory of it.

"Short for Improvisation. It's some kind of acting exercise thing only you have to make up motions and lines on the spot."

"Sounds hard," Yugi commented. Atemu rolled his eyes dramatically.

"You don't know the half of it." He glanced quickly around for the any sign that the teacher was looking their way and then leaned in close, whispering into Yugi's ear. "Actually the acting stuff wasn't that bad. It was the drama teacher. He's totally mental, if you know what I mean." Yugi giggled, not because of the story, but because Atemu's warm moist breath was tickling his ear. "He tried to make us interact with a chair. It was _so_ weird."

"If you two are with done _gossiping_..." a scolding voice behind them said loudly. Yugi and Atemu jumped nervously apart. The art teacher observed them with a skeptical eye before moving onto the next table, setting up pieces of paper and paints. "You all should be finishing your pieces this week. Ah, and we have a new student joining us. Atemu," she called, looking up from her attendance list and glancing around for the new student.

"Yes, Murasaki-sensei," Atemu said, standing up. The teacher's nose wrinkled slightly as she recognized him as the gossiper but she beckoned him to the front of the room all the same. Atemu approached her desk, an ominous feeling in his gut.

"Because you are joining this class later than I would like," she explained critically. "I won't make you redo all the projects the rest of the students have completed. Instead I'll give you a brand new project to make up the extra time. And you'll also have to complete the project the other students are finishing today. Ask your friend about that assignment." She handed Atemu a piece of paper with a crooked smile. "Have fun." Atemu scurried back over to his table and took his seat next to Yugi again.

"So, what's she making you do?" Yugi asked. Atemu's complexion paled as he read his assignment on the paper the teacher had given him.

"I have to research a famous artist and… make an art piece in the style of him or her?" Atemu said. "Research? Who does research in art class?"

Yugi shrugged. "You did miss like… two and a half months," he pointed out.

"And I'm supposed to do whatever assignment you guys are doing today," Atemu added, glancing at Yugi's half-finished painting. "What is that?"

"Oh, its still life, see?" Yugi pointed to the center of the room where a bunch of objects were sitting on a stool, a lamp, a green vase with a bunch of flowers in it and a group of marbles sitting in an artistically draped scarf. Yugi showed Atemu his picture.

"Hey, that's really good," Atemu said positively.

Yugi pouted slightly. "You're lying," he accused, taking back his painting.

"No, no, it's really good, honestly. The lamp looks very, ah… life like," Atemu insisted.

"Atemu-kun, that's the flower vase," Yugi corrected him.

"Oh… well, I like it," Atemu said stubbornly. "It's got character."

Yugi gave his friend a look but yielded a smile anyway. "Yeah, maybe art isn't my strong point… I think I'll stick to games," he said, squeezing some blue paint in a cup for him to use later.

"Good choice," Atemu cheered, selecting his own brush and piece of paper. "Speaking of games… That new gaming shop's still there. We should go visit it. You know, check out the competition for your grandfather."

"Awesome! Sounds like fun!" Yugi said excitedly. "I'll tell Jounouchi to get Honda and Otogi to come."

Atemu's expression fell slightly. "Oh… yeah." He turned back to his blank paper, back rigid. Yugi stared at him with a quizzical look on his face.

"What is it?" Yugi asked curiously.

Atemu shrugged as if he didn't want to tell him. "What? Nothing. I didn't say anything," he denied hastily, trying to kept his voice light.

There was silence, both of them had their eyes fixed downward at their artwork.

"Or…" Yugi began, fiddling with the end of his paintbrush. Atemu's head looked up tentatively. "Jounouchi, Otogi and Honda aren't really into that type of stuff, like we are…"

"Yeah," said Atemu, back straightening.

"…We could just go, ah, together," suggested Yugi nervously. He glanced over at Atemu.

Their eyes met.

"Ah, sure. Yeah. That sounds good," Atemu mumbled, turning back to the paints again.

"Right," Yugi agreed breathlessly, nodding and turning back to his work as well.

"I'm sure they won't mind, they probably wouldn't even want to go," Atemu added.

"Of course." Yugi replied. "They'll probably be happy we didn't force them."

"Yeah," Atemu affirmed. There was another moment of awkward silence. The other students around them were chatting to each other as they worked, taking no notice of the silent pair in the middle of the room. "So… painting?"

"Ah, yeah." Yugi cleaned his paint brush in the cup of water even though he hadn't actually put any paint on it yet. "Just sort of paint what you see."

"Got it." Atemu and Yugi glanced at each other one more time then both turned forcefully back to their art simultaneously, both slightly flustered.

…)(-)-( Medication )-(-)(…

Jounouchi knew Kaiba was prick. He had known since the moment they met. Perhaps he had just never fully understood the utter and complete meaning of the word until he finished school that Monday.

The first class of the day and, sure enough, Jounouchi spotted the bastard. Shoes feeling strangely heavier than usual, Jounouchi made his way slowly to the back of the class. Kaiba did not look up, not even when he sat down in the desk right next to him. Jounouchi opened his mouth a say something, a hello, a greeting, something? Anything? Nothing came out. In the end, the teacher rescued him from his humiliation as she began her lesson. The blonde gulped and faced the front of the classroom.

Jounouchi had spent all that remaining Sunday lingering between consciousness and unconsciousness, the film of that night replaying repeatedly in his head. He had gone too far. To be perfectly fair, he hadn't been in his right mind. Yes, Jounouchi had been having fun tormenting Kaiba, taunting Kaiba, toying with Kaiba… True, he had never actually found out the bastard's secrets, whatever those were, but _why_? Why the _hell_ had they… had _he_… started… Jounouchi didn't want to think of it, he didn't want to define it, to name that series of actions. How was he supposed to face Kaiba _now_? Knowing that he… that _they_ both had done… _that_.

Sooner than he expected, the class was over. The bell rang and even before Jounouchi could turn or think of something casual to say, Kaiba was up out of his chair, across the classroom and slipping out the door. Jounouchi frowned, he had never seen Kaiba, or any human for that matter, move that fast.

'Next class then,' Jounouchi told himself. 'Then… what? What then?' Who knew.

Next class, Kaiba was sitting in his same spot. Jounouchi sat next to him. Kaiba again, did not look up. His sharp blue eyes were hidden by his brown bangs as he looked down to read a book.

There was no teacher in sight.

Jounouchi clenched his teeth, now or never.

"Kaiba," he hissed so their conversation would not draw attention.

The bastard did not move. He didn't even turn a page in the precious book that he was so absorbed in.

"Yo, _Kaiba_," Jounouchi called, only starting to get slightly annoyed. At that moment the teacher came in and Jounouchi scowled and settled back down into his seat.

Every class was exactly the same. Eventually Jounouchi couldn't pay attention to the teachers anymore because his blood was boiling so furiously.

Jounouchi wanted to kill him.

Lunch came, the moment of truth. Jounouchi went to the classroom where Kaiba could _always_ be found and discovered that the bastard had once again disappeared. And though the blonde spent the rest of lunch looking for the prick, he never found the bastard.

Jounouchi wanted to _murder_ him.

"Sneaking around?" Jounouchi spat, as he found Kaiba in his next class as always. Again, no answer, no change in expression or position to even a signal that Kaiba had heard him. Jounouchi's rage rose up inside of him. "You can't just keep fucking _sitting_ there and-"

"Jounouchi, would you please find your seat!" the teacher scolded. Jounouchi had half a mind to curse the professor right there in front of everyone but then his common sense kicked in just in time to remind him that if he got detention he wouldn't be able to follow Kaiba after school.

So Jounouchi spent the rest of his class periods coming up with a thousands ways to kill the son-of-a-bitch, each method more painful and grotesque than the next.

School came to an end and, sure enough, as he had done after every other class, Kaiba ran for the door a split second after the bell rang, but this time Jounouchi was right behind him. The blonde didn't even stop to gather up his books before he left, they would only slow him down. Kaiba dove into the student packed hallway and disappeared from sight but Jounouchi knew he was heading for an exit. The blonde charged right through the crowd towards the front door. He stumbled out into the afternoon sun and looked wildly around for any sign of the bastard.

Luckily he just managed to catch a glimpse of the prick as he whipped around the corner to the student parking lot. Jounouchi ran after him.

There, Kaiba was getting ready to break for it in his a fancy black sports car.

'No way. No fucking way are you getting away!' Jounouchi cursed. He ran across the pavement in a full out sprint.

"You _bastard_!" Jounouchi cried.

Kaiba turned, spotted the blonde and then jumped into his car. He slammed the door shut and locked it just as Jounouchi reached him. The blonde pounded his fists on the safety glass.

"Prick! Get the _fuck_ out here! _You can't act like nothing happened_!" Jounouchi screamed.

Kaiba's icy blue eyes flashed harshly as he turned on the engine. The car sped backwards so forcefully that it knocked into the bumper of another car, leaving a sizable dent as it swerved and drove off into the road. Jounouchi sat there in the empty parking space, feeling numb.

Something dry and cold was slipping down Jounouchi's throat, leaving a bitter after-taste, sliding into his stomach, sinking into his core.

* * *

…)(-)-( Medication )-(-)(…

* * *

I hope people don't hate Malik, I personally love him to death. He's so normal, so honest, you know. He's a total cutie. 

HA! Told you Mai wasn't staying around. Mwahahaha…

Yugi and Atemu are so cute it's not even funny. They are adorable with their paints and looks and subtleties. sniff makes me all teary.

NEXT CHAPTER: Woah, so it's a MalikxBakuraxRyou showdown. Menus are going down, and drinks and strange pasta sauces. And… WOAH! Bakura's experimenting, and I can tell you it's not with food. (squeee!) Jounouchi walks in on a very, um… complicated situation… Atemu explains.

**REVIEW!**

Sorry for being so late. I'll try better next time. You're totally allowed to yell at me to update cause all I'm doing with these chapters is editing them like crazy.

**REVIEW!!**


	8. Humiliation

WOAH! Intensity.

Started new fic. Had some trouble. Almost had to write in a Scandalshipping plot line. (priest Seth x Pharaoh) EW! (shivers, throws up a little) thank god for loop holes. Sorry, I just don't see the Prideshipping in _any_ form. (Kaiba x Yami) Well... except maybe… youknow, if its like one-sided with Kaiba and he gets all depressed and kills himself. Sorry. I don't actually hate Kaiba, you all know that.

Moving along. This chapter is… freaking awesome. You'll find out why. Mwahahaha.

Bakura likes his meat… a lot of it. Teehee.

**

* * *

Chyaputa 8: Humiliation**

1. state of disgrace or loss of self-respect

2. strong feelings of embarrassment

3. an instance in which causes one to lose one's prestige or self-respect

4. depriving one of self-esteem

* * *

The restaurant Malik had chosen had some kind of unpronounceable name written in loopy neon letters. Bakura's stare traveled around the room harshly, glowering at the strings of flowers over head and the tacky lavish decorations on the walls.

"What an ugly stuffy place," Bakura growled distastefully, not caring that a waiter was passing right by him as he said that. Malik elbowed Bakura in the side, signaling him to be quiet. The waiter's nose wrinkled slightly but he led the three boys to a table in the corner anyway. Bakura sat down and Malik immediately took the chair next to him.

"I can't believe both of you failed me again," Malik moaned. "Am I the only one who even owns _nice_ clothes?" Malik had dressed up in some fancy pressed shirt with a collar, buttons and everything. Both Bakura and Ryou were in jeans and a regular T-shirt.

"Sorry, Malik-kun, Bakura-kun didn't tell me we were going here," Ryou admitted.

"Sure, blame me," grumbled Bakura darkly. "Malik didn't say anything about the place being stifling to me either."

The waiter appeared at their table. "Good evening, welcome to-" unpronounceable name again, "I'm Aiko and I'll be your waiter this evening. Would you all like something to drink?"

Malik and Ryou both ordered their drinks. Bakura scowled down at his menu, as if he expected it to grow a mouth and tell him what to order. Since it wasn't and all three humans were waiting for him to decide Bakura gave up, pointed carelessly at Ryou and snapped, "Whatever he ordered." Once the waitress nodded and scurried hastily away, Bakura growled, "What the hell is a _panini_, _fettuccini_… _pento_? Is this freakin' menu in another language?"

"It's Italian," Malik said. "We're in an _Italian_ restaurant."

"How the hell are we supposed to order something then?" Bakura spat.

"Here." Ryou laid his menu flat on the table. "What kind of pasta do you like?"

"The edible kind," Bakura growled.

"That certainly narrows down the choices," Malik joked. Bakura glared at him and that shut the human up right away.

"What kind of sauce do you like?" Ryou asked smoothly.

"How should I know. They all got weird names," Bakura grumbled grouchily, slouching down in his seat. "Is there any meat thing I could get instead? Like steak?"

"Bakura, this is an Italian restaurant. They don't have steak," said Malik, very unhelpfully. Shit, that guy was annoying! Good thing Bakura had thought to bring Ryou along or else this evening would have been awful.

Ryou shrugged and closed his menu. "How about you get a Carne Pizza? That's got a lot of meat on it?"

Bakura's head perked back up a little. "They have pizza?" he questioned suspiciously.

"Yep." Ryou showed him the place in the menu.

"Excellent," Bakura decided firmly, not noticing as Malik and Ryou exchanged tired looks.

"God, Bakura, why do you always have to be so difficult?" Malik taunted.

"I don't know, why do you always have to be so annoying?" Bakura retorted nastily. Malik's face tightened and he looked away from Bakura's stare, eyes shinning with hurt.

"Come on you guys. Let's try to be nice to each other," Ryou reasoned calmly.

The drinks came. Bakura drank one sip of his chosen beverage and gagged dramatically.

"This is _vile_. What did you call it? Iced- tee?" Bakura growled as he dumped his seventh package of sugar into his drink. Ryou shrugged as he sipped _his_ ice tea pleasantly. Bakura did another test taste of his tea and made a face as though he were about to barf. "Hey Malik, let me have some of your drink," Bakura ordered.

"Mine? Ah, sure." Malik passed his glass of Cherry Coke to his friend.

The drink was still awful but it wasn't nearly as vile.

That is, until Bakura noticed that Malik was staring at him with oddly glazed over eyes.

Ryou seemed to catch onto this too. "Malik-kun?" The human remained in his trance. Ryou tried again, waving a hand in the Egyptian's face. "Hello, Malik-kun?"

Malik flinched, hugely and obviously, like a stupefied human. "W-what?"

"Are you ok?" Ryou asked concerned.

"Me? _Fine_! Just _fine_!" Malik insisted with a nervous laugh.

Bakura managed a scowl even though the straw was still in his mouth. "You're staring at me," Bakura accused.

Malik's face flamed up again. "Am not!" he exclaimed, forcefully turning away.

Bakura glared at him. "You've got some drool on your chin." Malik flushed and immediately snatched up his napkin and covered his red face. Bakura rolled his eyes and went back to his drink, Malik's drink. And Malik could not stop staring. The stupid human.

"Oh look, the salads are here," Ryou announced lightly, changing the subject.

The salads were inedible. But fortunately for all, Bakura loved his pizza and he ate more than half of it without one negative word, which allowed Malik and Ryou to enjoy their food as well.

Ryou had slurped up his pasta, the noodles leaving white sauce dripping from his chin.

"You look ridiculous," Bakura scolded.

Ryou frowned slightly. "Funny, I seemed to have lost my napkin."

Bakura rolled his eyes. The clumsy idiot. "Here." He tossed Ryou his own napkin. Ryou caught it awkwardly and cleaned himself up.

Malik sulked. But Bakura had no idea why. Because he was human?

"Bakura, can I have my drink back now? I'm thirsty," Malik asked.

Bakura shrugged and shoved the glass in Malik's direction.

The Egyptian caught it. "Bakura. This is empty."

"Yeah?" Bakura questioned.

"What am I going to drink?" Malik asked incredulously.

Bakura scowled. "Freaking hell, here." And he thrust Malik his overly sweetened iced tea.

"But I don't like tea," Malik complained.

"You wanted something to drink," Bakura scathed.

Malik gaped at him, incredulously. "But I wanted- I was the one who ordered it!"

"And? You gave it to me. Willingly," Bakura reminded the annoying human. Honestly it wasn't a hard concept.

"You know," Ryou mentioned politely though neither was really paying him much attention. "You guys could just order another drink."

But Malik's face was current swelling up like it had an infection or something, but it didn't, Bakura realized, Malik's face was just meant to be confusing and annoying.

"Malik-kun? Are you sure you're alright?" Ryou asked, now looking slightly concerned.

"Me?" Malik choked, now trembling with rage. "Oh, yes! _Nothing's _wrong! Absolutely nothing!" he ranted in a way that you definitely could tell that something was wrong.

"Whatever," Bakura scoffed and turned back to his pizza without a second thought.

"Um, I'll be right back," Ryou said, standing up. "I need to go to bathroom." Bakura nodded but silently he wished Ryou wouldn't leave. He did not want to be left alone with crazy Malik. Who knew what crazy things he'd do now?

The moment Ryou disappeared, sure enough, the human turned on Bakura.

"What was all that?" Malik hissed.

"What was what?" Bakura accused.

Malik's eyes narrowed. "Oh come, its _obvious_. You've been practically sucking up to Ryou all night!"

"Where'd you get that ridiculous notion?" Bakura protested, offended.

"You let him order for you, you gave him your napkin after he _conveniently_ lost his," Malik recalled, eyebrows raising suspiciously.

"You're crazy," Bakura scoffed, turning away from Malik.

Then Malik's face got very stiff, as though his tongue had just turned to stone. "Do you like him?"

"_What_?" Bakura didn't _like_ humans. At all. But if he did… Ryou might have been one of the better ones. Even though he was rather… pale. "He's not awful," Bakura decided.

"But do you _like_ him?" Malik argued. "You know, like _more_ than a friend."

"_More_ than a friend?" Bakura repeated critically, squinting at Malik even though he was only two feet away and Bakura had perfectly good eyesight. "What else would he be?"

Malik rolled his eyes. "You know, like you got the hots for him? You got a crush on him?"

Bakura's frame went rigid in disgust. "Malik."

"What?"

Bakura said very slowly, "Are you suggesting that I want to mate with him?"

Malik croaked. "Well- maybe- not exactly _mate_… but yeah…"

Bakura never thought he would have to instruct a human in the finer points of mating. "For one, we're both males, we can't reproduce-"

"I know _that_!" Malik squeaked incredulously.

"I don't courtship with a hu- with anyone," Bakura continued savagely

But Malik's mouth dropped open in shock. It looked like he just got punched in the stomach.

"Are you _fucking_ shitting-" he breathed. Then he started to swell with sudden furious anger.

"What?" Bakura questioned.

"YOU-" Malik was vibrating, trembling with rage. "You've been going out on dates for _ages_!"

Bakura face retorted, thoroughly disgusted. "I don't go on dates."

Malik's pale violet eye looked like they were about to pop right out of his head. "What are you talking about!? You went out with Ryou just last week!"

The side of Bakura's mouth twitched. "Yeah, to the movies, not on a date or anything…"

"Going to the movies _is a date_!" Malik spat.

"No, its not," Bakura said flatly. "There are lots of not-dating people at movies."

"Yes, but-but-" Malik was trembling, his hands flying out to the sides in wild gestures, "If you go up to someone, especially if that someone is your own age and available, and you ask to 'go out' with them, _alone_, that _implies_ a date!"

Bakura scowled, blinking slowly. "No, it doesn't."

"Yeah, it _does_!"

"It _wasn't_ a date," Bakura pointed out flatly.

"That's the way everyone in the school took it!" Malik exclaimed. "To them you've been going out, _on dates,_ with practically everyone in the school!!"

"Why are you getting so loud about this?" Bakura growled.

"Y-you- you- can't tell me it never crossed your mind," Malik stammered. He looked slightly unstable, like was going to explode at any second. "With the whole school talking about it. Everyone thinks you're a-a-a pimp or a- _prostitute_ or something!"

Bakura scowled in thought. "And?"

Malik's face went slack again. "What do you mean, '_and'_?" Malik stood up, expression lined with distress. "Don't you _care_?"

"No," Bakura returned. The only thing that was agitating him was Malik.

"But-but- people think you're a…. why can't you stop?"

"Malik, shut up," Bakura growled. "Sit down."

"Don't you see how people hate you? Why do you do stuff like this? It's not _healthy_," Malik questioned.

"Shut up and sit down," Bakura snarled.

"And I've been trying to tell people they're wrong. Really I have! And you just don't _care_?"

"Why the fuck does it matter to you?" Bakura sneered back. They were both standing now; half the restaurant was looking at them.

Malik's normally rich tanned complexion drained from his face.

"It matters," Malik insisted fiercely but his voice was much smaller than it had been a second ago. It was as if he was hiding something, holding his answer back.

"Please explain it to me then. _Why_? Why do _you_ care that no one likes me?" Bakura repeated nastily.

There was a moment of hesitation.

Then the movement was so fast, Bakura couldn't understand what was going on. One second Malik was trembling and looking all nervous, then next the human had grabbed Bakura's head, his mouth fumbling for Bakura's lips.

A thousand lifetimes flashed before Bakura's mind in that split second. It had become shockingly clear to him how very wrong this situation was.

A bad chemical feeling had jumped up into his mortal brain. Sharp immediate impulse caused Bakura's hands to shove Malik away. The human fell backwards, tripping over the chair behind him and falling on the fancy carpet.

Most of the restaurant went silent or looked curiously around for the commotion.

Bakura's human heart was pounding irregularly. Was he sick?

Malik looked up into Bakura's rigid and scary expression.

The angel gave him nothing but hate in return.

Malik's face contorted with pain. Had the fall injured the human? Surely Bakura hadn't pushed him that hard; even with the shock, Bakura had kept his angelic strength in check.

Next moment Malik was on his feet and Bakura's super saturated Iced-tee was being dumped on his head and then, without another word, the Egyptian was gone. Bakura just stood there, dripping onto the expensive carpet.

Ryou, it turned out, had been standing just a few paces away. When the diners at the nearby tables finally turned back to their own conversations, Ryou appeared at Bakura's side and silently handed him a white napkin. The angel sat heavily in his chair.

Their waiter took advantage of the pause in their conversation to nervously offer to get them the check.

"Yes, thank you," Ryou answered distractedly and sat down as well. The restaurant finally started to calm. But Bakura was still wired with agitation. He began to roughly ring out his long white hair, more of the sugary liquid spilling onto the carpet. "The bastard-" he stopped himself. His fingers were shaking, but with what? Anger? Freaking hell, he _hoped_ it was anger.

The waiter delivered their check. Ryou glanced at the paper. "Ah, Bakura…"

"What?" Bakura snapped, ringing his hair.

"You remember how Malik was supposed to pay…"

Bakura threw his hands up into the air and let out a groan of frustration. "Damn that fucking bastard!" he roared.

"Who?" Ryou asked politely confused.

"_Malik_!" Bakura snapped exasperatedly.

"Oh."

"That's _it_," Bakura growled. He stood up and grabbed Ryou's arm. "Come on."

"What?" Ryou asked bewildered as Bakura dragged him to his feet.

"We're leaving. Now move quickly or they'll catch us," Bakura growled, towing Ryou through the restaurant as the other mumbled useless protests. After they fought their way through the line at the front of the restaurant, Bakura dragged Ryou down another two blocks just to make sure they wouldn't be caught.

That had to be far enough. Bakura breathed, looking back to the restaurant fearfully. They had stopped at the edge of a park, in the center of the dark space between two streetlights.

Ryou tugged a stray white lock of his hair anxiously. He could tell Bakura was stressed so he didn't protest too much about storming out of the restaurant without paying their bill. "Do you have your cell phone with you? I need to call my ride home."

Bakura scowled and shoved the phone moodily into his hands. Ryou dialed his apartment number.

The human heart in Bakura's ribs was _still_ pounding. The angel gripped the fabric of his pants, trying to ignore the sudden spread of moisture on his palms. It was hot. Was it the air or his mortal body?

"Shit," Bakura cursed.

After he finished his call Ryou gave the cell phone back to Bakura. "What happened?"

Now it was time for conversation. How he _despised_ humans.

"_Malik_ happened," Bakura growled, still overcoming his shock. "How much… did you see?" he grumbled, shoulders scrunched against his neck.

"Most of it," Ryou replied simply. "Not much of the conversation just the, ah…"

"Yeah," Bakura grunted. He didn't want Ryou to say _that_ word.

There was silence. Bakura dug his toe furiously into the ground a couple of times.

Ryou looked solemn. "You weren't very considerate. I'm not saying you should have let him kiss you or anything," he added quickly, seeing a look forming on Bakura's face. "Though you could have been a lot nicer to him."

"_Nicer_ to him!" Bakura raved, throwing his hands up into the air in disbelief. "He _violated_ me!"

"Malik's confused," Ryou reasoned sympathetically. Bakura snorted. "He probably just didn't know any other way to expressing his feelings."

"Then he shouldn't have tried," Bakura growled. He was angry. He was furious. That's why his heart was beating so fast. That's why his body was so hot and sweaty. This wasn't fear. He wasn't afraid.

The angel's knees felt loose. Frail.

Bakura's legs folded beneath him and he sat down heavily upon the grass, arms crossing tight over his fast thundering heart. Bakura knew what human circulatory organ was supposed to do. Pump blood. Carry nutrients to the rest of the body. Or chemicals. Hormones. Panic signals.

Bakura's arms tightened around himself. 'Fuck.'

"Did you know," Ryou inquired calmly, sitting down in the grass like the two of them were acquaintances, friends, "That he liked you?"

"How was I supposed to?" Bakura grumbled. He hated this night. He hated the fact that he was covered in sticky sweetened Iced-tee. He hated that he was stuck in this crazy human body with its unpredictable chemical imbalances. He _hated_ Malik. He hated that he had ever let that excitable animal follow him around. Bakura wanted nothing more than to leave this horrible human realm.

"Are you alright?" the pale human inquired.

Bakura shook himself. "_Fine_."

The heart would not stop. It just kept pounding and pounding and pounding…

His body was dying. He almost hoped it was true. What was going on? Bakura felt nothing but revulsion and disgust for the mortal skin in which he was encased. Why wasn't he calming down? There had to be an answer. Things didn't happen without a reason.

Was it anger? Yes, but it was more than that. This was warmer than rage.

Fear then? Fear of that human since he had touched him? Initiated a courtship with him? That couldn't be it. Bakura knew fear almost as well as anger, and fear never effected him like this.

It was from the mortal body then. Bakura swallowed and recalled Malik's attempted grasp at him.

His body quaked.

Fine. It was the human body.

Bakura peered at Ryou.

The pale human gazed back at him.

The heart went faster.

Shit, it responded to other humans. Whatever _it_ was. Not anger. Not fear.

Courtship…? It was the only other human explanation.

"Ryou."

The human blinked. "Yes?"

Bakura readied himself. No, he could not think about it. He just had to do it. It was just an experiment after all. "Come here."

Ryou's forehead got wrinkly but he obeyed, as Bakura knew he would.

Then Bakura grabbed the front of the human's shirt, yanked him forward and, bracing himself, bumped his mouth against Ryou's.

Then shoved the human away again.

The "kiss" had been less than a second of touching, not even enough time to register how Ryou's lips felt.

But his heart was still knocking at his insides. Passionately.

So it was the courtship.

The angel stretched his hands out in front of him, spreading them in the night. They were still coated in human perspiration. And they were… trembling.

Bakura did not like this sensation. He felt too out of control. Too warm.

"Why did you do that?"

Bakura did not look away from his mesmerizing appendages . "Do what?" he grunted.

Ryou had the same blank expression on as usual. "Kiss me."

Bakura shrugged. "I'm testing." And he left it at that.

"Oh." And as usual, Ryou didn't question. Because he was an oblivious fool.

In conclusion, courtships with all mortal beings were to be avoided in the future. He needed to focus on demons. He needed to find a demon. Just one demon would do… Bakura was relieved.

After some time of reflection, Bakura dropped his arms and turned back to the dazed human beside him.

Their eyes met.

And bang bang bang went Bakura's mortal heart. This was going to be annoying. Especially since along with the speeding heart came a squirming sensation similar to nausea only different, _so_ different.

He had had enough of this experimentation. Bakura scrambled to his feet, leaving Ryou sprawled out on the damp grass.

There was a pause as Ryou slowly sat up. Bakura, feeling guilty that he had brought on this uncomfortable silence, offered his hand to help Ryou up. Ryou took it.

"Thanks," the human muttered.

'Thanks? What the hell is he thanking me for?' Bakura questioned angrily.

Blood kept storming away in his ears.

…)(-)-( Humiliation )-(-)(…

Atemu brought the car to a stop when he saw Ryou's pale form waving at him from under a streetlight outside of Domino City Park. But he wasn't alone. A familiar scowling figure followed slowly behind Ryou as he approached the car.

"Hey Atemu, do you think you could take Bakura home? He hasn't got a ride," Ryou asked. Atemu glanced over Ryou's shoulder and examined this individual. Now he remembered, that was the angry guy he had met at Yugi's house.

"Ah sure," Atemu agreed reluctantly. He really hadn't favored his first impression of Bakura. Why was Ryou with him? Ryou settled into the front seat as Bakura climbed into the back. Atemu pulled away from the curb and they were off.

"I live near the Getsu bus stop, you know the one-" Bakura began to explain.

"I know where you live," Atemu interrupted. He saw Bakura scowl unpleasantly in his rear view mirror.

"How do you know that, Atemu?" Ryou questioned curiously.

"He lives with Yugi," Atemu answered. The drive was mostly uneventful as long as Atemu ignored Bakura giving him evil looks behind his back.

A half an hour later, they dropped Bakura off at the Game Shop. Ryou said goodbye as the bronze-skinned teenager clamored out of the car. Bakura didn't even bother to answer.

Atemu frowned. He liked Bakura less and less every time he saw him. But no matter how grand his disliked, Atemu couldn't stop himself from looking up at the Game Shop's upper story, knowing that Yugi was in there somewhere. If he and Bakura had been better friends, or even pleasant acquaintances, he might have showed him inside just as an excuse to see Yugi again however briefly, but since that wasn't going to happen, Atemu grudgingly let the fantasy go.

As they continued their trip home Atemu finally spoke up. "So, what were you doing with Bakura?"

"Doing?" Ryou questioned in an estranged tone. If Atemu hadn't currently been driving he might have tried to stare Ryou down to get an answer out of him.

"Why are you two out this late?" Atemu clarified suspiciously.

"Oh." Ryou tugged a lock of his long white hair nervously. "We went out to dinner." Atemu brought the car to jerky stop at a traffic light.

"You were what?" he exclaimed, turning to Ryou but his long time friend wasn't looking at him. Did Ryou just say dinner? Dinner alone with Bakura? That sounded like a… Surely Ryou and Bakura couldn't be… No, Ryou was a Prince of Hell, Ryou was, honestly, _Ryou_. He wouldn't…

"Me, Bakura and Malik got some food at a restaurant," Ryou repeated. "It turned green," he commented, indicating the traffic light. Atemu turned forwards and pressed a little too hard on the accelerator to get the car started.

'So it wasn't a date,' Atemu thought with relief. 'Still…'

"Why Bakura of all people?" Atemu questioned.

"We're friends," Ryou answered. Atemu's lips tightened. He didn't like the idea of Ryou calling someone like Bakura a friend. "Why are Yugi and Bakura living together, do you know?"

"They're cousins," said Atemu, annoyed that Ryou had changed the subject.

"Cousins?" Ryou repeated confused.

"Step cousins," Atemu explained. "Or something like that."

"Oh." Ryou nodded and turned back to his window.

"Ryou," Atemu began. "I don't think you should be hanging out with Bakura." At the edge of his vision he saw Ryou's eyebrows rise.

"Why?" Ryou asked, politely bewildered.

"Because… well, he's not a very nice person," Atemu pointed out lamely.

Ryou shrugged. "He's not bad," he answered, voice light.

"It's just…" Atemu continued. "There's something about him I don't like, you know, something a little off."

"Maybe you never gave him a chance," Ryou suggested. Atemu frowned.

"Ryou," he said sternly. They were at a stoplight again; Atemu turned to his friend. "I'm serious." Ryou gave Atemu one of his small unreassuringly smiles.

"Thanks for worrying about me, Atemu, but I'm fine, really," said Ryou automatically as easily as he had said it hundred times before.

Atemu hesitated, turning back to the road. He wasn't even sure why he was so worried about Bakura. Hadn't Yugi said that deep down Bakura was a nice guy? Maybe he was over reacting. But no matter how much Atemu told himself this, he couldn't help but feel that there was something unsettling about Bakura.

"Just be careful, ok?" Atemu muttered. Ryou nodded although Atemu knew this promise didn't mean anything.

…)(-)-( Humiliation )-(-)(…

Jounouchi was pissed off by the time the weekend rolled around. Somehow Kaiba had managed to avoid him all week. Jounouchi hadn't thought it was possible but the great all-mighty Kaiba had once again proved him wrong. Jounouchi was unbelievably miserable. He needed to goof off, get out away from all his schoolwork, away from his Count of Hell duties, away from cold-hearted Kaiba. He had called up Otogi and Honda and offered to treat them to a raid of the arcade but they had both turned him down. Yugi had mumbled something about "pervious engagements" on that Saturday. Even Atemu had abandoned him.

"Sorry Jounouchi, I've already got plans," Atemu said vaguely, for some reason not willing in go into detail.

"Plans more important than your bleeding desperate friend?" Jounouchi asked, he admitted, a little too dramatically. "Come on, just for a couple hours."

"Jounouchi, I'm sorry but I already made an arrangement, it would be rude to cancel," Atemu explained, and his calm collected tone pissed the blonde off even more.

So Jounouchi was mad. And he knew was being childish and immature but at that moment he really didn't give a crap. He was starting to think this was all some big conspiracy, maybe Honda, Otogi, Atemu and Yugi were all hanging out together somewhere and just didn't want him to come. True, Atemu had promised to hang out with him on Sunday but Jounouchi didn't think he could stand a single day alone with nothing to keep his mind from examining and re-examining the memories of that terrible, terrible night at the party with Kaiba.

In the end, Jounouchi left the apartment, caught a bus and journeyed to the downtown part of Domino City, maybe the massive crowds of humans would be enough to distract him. Unfortunately the sights of happy couples shopping and laughing together on a sunny afternoon did absolutely nothing to cheer him up.

'This is ridiculous,' Jounouchi thought angrily as he glared at a young man and woman hand in hand, making sickening googily eyes at each other as they walked. 'I swear, they're _all_ in pairs. What is this? Couples day?' A man leaned forward and gave his date a kiss. The woman giggled and kissed him back. Jounouchi looked fiercely away, his face heating up furiously.

Unwillingly flashes of him and Kaiba making out on the floor at the party surfaced in his mind again. Jounouchi's stomach dropped, it felt like his brain was on fire. Jounouchi's gut roared, and he threw his soda on the ground in his anger, scaring away another lovey-dovey couple sitting at the table behind him.

'Why the fuck am I _still_ thinking about him!' Jounouchi shouted at himself. He closed his eyes and saw Kaiba resting his tired head against Jounouchi's chest.

He had realized long ago that trying to deny the fact that he and Kaiba had done… _stuff_ was impossible. He had forced himself to accept it, now all he had to do was figure out what the _fuck_ he had been _thinking_! Jounouchi would have beaten himself repeatedly over the head if it would have helped to pound those memories of Kaiba out of his mind.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't _fucking fair_! Jounouchi clenched his jaw tight and put his forehead down on the table; it felt like his skull was about to explode.

After a moment, Jounouchi finally calmed down enough to lift his head from the plastic surface of the outdoor table and, to his great and pleasant surprise, he spotted two familiar faces across the street. Atemu and Yugi were sitting outside a café, sipping tea or hot chocolate or coffee, _whatever_, from disposable cups, laughing and talking in the bright afternoon sun.

Jounouchi jumped to his feet in glee. Finally salvation!

Five angry people and three broken traffic laws later, Jounouchi had made it across the street and dashed up to his friends' table, completely out of breath.

"Hey! I didn't know you guys were going out!" Jounouchi greeted, with a huge grin. Atemu's face darkened drastically, it was almost scary. Yugi's went bright red.

"G-going out!?" Yugi squeaked. "No, we're not- I mean…" Jounouchi laughed and flopped down into the chair next to Yugi.

"Just kidding! God, Yugi you should see your face, it's all red," Jounouchi taunted playfully, nudging Yugi in the side with his elbow. Yugi's complexion went brighter while Atemu's frown deepened, crossing his arms sternly. "Why didn't you tell me you two were going down town?" Yugi bit his lip nervously and glanced at Atemu whose mouth continued to thin in irritation.

"Sorry, Jounouchi-kun, we went to that new game shop and… well, we didn't want to drag you, Honda-kun and Otogi-kun anywhere you guys didn't want to go," Yugi explained.

"You wouldn't have dragged me anywhere!" Jounouchi exclaimed slapping Yugi on the back so hard the little guy started coughing. He was so relieved to find some of his friends that he didn't even care at the moment that Atemu and Yugi had purposely ditched him. "So how was the shop? What did you get?" Yugi told Jounouchi about the shop and showed the blonde his purchases while Atemu remained stubbornly silent. It was only when Yugi got up to get Jounouchi a drink that Atemu finally spoke.

"What are you doing here, Jounouchi?" Atemu asked tightly.

"What do you mean, what am I doing here?" Jounouchi said, picking off a corner of Yugi's pastry. "Since everyone had something else to do I didn't want to stay in the apartment by myself."

Atemu tore the dessert out of Jounouchi's hands. "That's Yugi's," he pointed out firmly, placing the pastry back down on the table. Jounouchi frowned, what the hell had that been about? Why was Atemu acting like such a jerk?

"What the hell is your problem?" Jounouchi accused, all his pervious anger flaring back up. "What? Do you not _want_ to hang out with me?"

Atemu sighed as though trying to control himself. "I'm sorry, Jounouchi," he apologized stiffly. "I should have told you, I was wrong." That calmed Jounouchi down a bit. He settled back into his chair, his anger falling back down again. At least Atemu could admit when he was wrong. Why couldn't Kaiba do that?

"What should you have told me? You're acting like I interrupted your _date_ or something," Jounouchi chuckled, taking a piece of Atemu's pastry this time. Which was ridiculous, of course. Atemu would never go out with anyone, especially not a _human_.

When Atemu didn't answer or join in on the joke when Jounouchi looked up expectantly. Atemu was gazing back into the café where Yugi stood at the service counter. His eyes were softer than Jounouchi had ever seen them.

Jounouchi choked on his little bit of pastry. "You two aren't…" Atemu looked back down at the table, suddenly rather uncomfortable and realization smacked Jounouchi hard. "You _are_?"

"Well… no, not really," Atemu mumbled, toying with his napkin. "Not yet, anyway."

'Not _yet_?' Jounouchi thought, amazement and shock spreading across his features. Did that mean Atemu was planning to? _Wanting_ to?

"But Atemu…" Jounouchi lowered his voice so the humans sitting at the table next to them couldn't hear. "You can't, he's a human," Jounouchi hissed.

"Yeah… I know," Atemu said slowly.

"Are you investigating him?" Jounouchi questioned almost pleadingly. This couldn't be true.

"No, I'm not," Atemu insisted firmly.

"Then why?" Jounouchi hissed, silently imploring him. Higher Being-human relationships never ended out well. Jounouchi had heard thousands of stories of humans finding out the identity of his/her significant other and the demon or angel having to kill the human because of the Balance Laws and that wasn't even the worst that could happen. What was Atemu thinking? "Why are you doing this?"

Atemu looked up. His sharp determined gaze hit Jounouchi like a three ton truck.

"Don't tell Ryou, ok?" Atemu asked, holding firmly onto Jounouchi's eye contact.

"They didn't have any more brownies, sorry Jounouchi-kun," Yugi explained, walking out of the café with a brown paper bag in hand, "But there was this really good looking lemon square so I got that for you. Hey, what's going on?" he asked innocently as he noticed the strained silence between Jounouchi and Atemu.

"What? Nothing, nothing," Jounouchi dismissed with an awkward laugh. "Say, my head kinda hurts, I think I'll go home, Atemu," Jounouchi said brightly skidding away from the table. Yugi looked guilty.

"Oh no, Jounouchi-kun, you don't have to," Yugi offered automatically. Jounouchi shook his head. Yugi really was a nice guy.

"No, no, really. I got some, you know, homework I should do. If I stare at it long enough maybe I'll get motivated to actually start it," Jounouchi joked, already walking away.

"Ok… well, here take your lemon square," Yugi insisted, pushing the bag into his hands.

"Thanks Yugi. Well, seeya!" Jounouchi called as he gave one last wave and ran off down the street.

The very thought that Atemu actually held feelings for someone was scary. When Jounouchi first met Atemu he had gotten the impression of extreme… togetherness, the last person Jounouchi could see swaying away from his heritage. Were the lures of the human world really that tempting? It seemed more likely that Atemu would fall for Ryou, the two were pretty close.

'A human. A human!' Jounouchi repeated to himself. Sure Yugi was nice, really, really happy and cute, if you liked little scrawny guys, but he was a _human_. Jounouchi wanted to scream, "Do you have any idea what you're doing to yourself?" right in Atemu's face but knew it wouldn't do any good.

Jounouchi stopped running outside some unknown place, panting, his human body finally tired out.

Jounouchi closed his eyes and there he was, sitting on a couch with drunken Kaiba's girlie hands curled around his fingers, the bastard blowing alcoholic breath in his face…

"Not _again_," Jounouchi moaned out loud. "For hell's fucking sake… leave me ALONE!" He kicked a nearby car with all his strength and the thing flew out into the street. Some passersbys looked up astonished, drawn no doubt by the car's burglar alarm going off as it smashed into another oncoming vehicle.

Realizing too late that he had drawn unwanted attention to himself, Jounouchi sped off down a random side street, away from the scene.

Two hours later Jounouchi arrived back at the apartment. Ryou and Atemu were not home yet so he had the whole thing to himself. Jounouchi however barely had enough strength left in his human body to make it to his bed. When he flopped down upon it the world spun around him just as a warm phantom body had collapsed beside him not so many nights before. He could hear its ghostly voice whispering his name in his ear.

"_Jounouchi…"_

'A human, a human,' a tiny voice in the back of his brain taunted. 'Do you have any idea what you're doing to yourself?'

But Kaiba wasn't human. He was an angel, right? That was why Jounouchi had investigated him in the beginning. He had a feeling. An instinct.

'Maybe I never thought he was,' Jounouchi wondered weakly as phantom Kaiba's mouth nibbled his ear. 'Could it be I just wanted an excuse to get close to him?'

For the first time in Jounouchi's long demonic existence, he wanted to give into the human impulse and cry.

…)(-)-( Humiliation )-(-)(…

Yugi watched Jounouchi's retreating back escape down the street, very confused. Atemu however breathed a sigh of relief. So maybe Jounouchi had found out a few things that Atemu still wasn't ready to admit to himself but at least he was gone.

"What's up with him?" Yugi wondered worriedly out loud.

"Who knows," Atemu mumbled, forcing his stare down at his drink. Yugi gave Atemu a skeptical look.

"You didn't scare him away, did you?" Yugi asked.

"Who me?" Atemu questioned, not very convincingly. "Certainly not."

Yugi pouted. "Atemu-kun… You didn't have to," he insisted weakly.

"Did I?" Atemu asked casually.

Yugi bit his lip and looked nervously away.

Secretly Atemu smirked at himself.

"I just felt so bad when I turned him down before," Yugi explained. "He's been acting really strange lately, hasn't he? I wonder if something happened."

Atemu was the one getting nervous now. "I promised to hang out with him tomorrow, don't worry," he reassured Yugi. "I'm sure he'll be fine." Yugi nodded, finally turning to face Atemu again. "So, what do you want to do now?" Atemu asked.

"You still want to do stuff?" Yugi questioned.

"Of course, don't you?" Atemu asked. His heart couldn't help but slow down as he waited for Yugi's answer.

"Yeah, I want to. Really I do but…" Yugi hesitated. "Are you sure we should?"

Atemu frowned, confused. "Why not?"

Yugi fiddled with his pastry, giving himself time to answer. "Jounouchi-kun, you know, he might, ah, need help?" he suggested painfully.

No, Yugi was not going to use that excuse again, not after what Atemu had sacrificed to get Jounouchi out of there.

"I told you, he's fine. Let's go do something," Atemu insisted, getting up out of his chair. Yugi smiled as he allowed himself to be pulled from his chair by Atemu.

"I tried, just so you know," Yugi sighed tiredly.

Atemu grinned back. "I know and you failed, so let's go." They left the café in search of more entertainment and Yugi let Atemu hold his hand as they walked.

Finally the two decided on a movie but the only thing playing at the time was some weird futuristic science fiction movie called "Exploding Robot Planet of Doom". They bought seats anyway.

"This is awful," Yugi commented.

"No, this is _god_ awful," Atemu corrected. Yugi fought to suppress a laugh.

"Wait, who is _that_ guy?" Yugi asked ten minutes later. "I don't remember him, where did he come from?"

"He's probably not important," Atemu reassured, unconsciously patting Yugi's hand and then a few minutes later, letting it rest there. After the fourth car chase scene, Yugi laughed and accidentally bumped his leg so that it was leaning against Atemu's. When the bad-ass attitude hero saved the love interest a third time, Yugi shivered.

"Why do they air condition movie theaters so much?" Yugi complained.

"Here, you can have my jacket," Atemu offered.

"No I couldn't, then you'd be cold," Yugi pointed out. They compromised by sharing the coat, huddling together underneath its warmth. Ten minutes later when the nuclear power plant exploded, Atemu found Yugi asleep on his shoulder.

An hour or so later the hero and his sexy love interest made love on the big screen in full view of all the audience members. Atemu was suddenly thankful that Yugi was asleep.

When the movie was over Atemu was reluctant to wake the sleeping teenager on his shoulder so he let the rest the audience members file out before disturbing him.

"Yugi, the movie's over," Atemu said kindly in Yugi's ear.

"Ahm… five more minutes…" Yugi grumbled, shifting so that his head was pressed up against Atemu's neck. Atemu grinned and wrapped an arm around Yugi's shoulders.

"As long as you want…"

* * *

…)(-)-( Humiliation )-(-)(…

* * *

Do you see it? The relationships forming? Is it not awesome? IS IT? Jounouchi's little confused but when is he not? 

Ryou and Bakura are so weird. I'll have fun with them later. Mwahaha.

Poor Malik… I miss him already. No, no, he'll be in the next chapter, don't worry.

NEXT CHAPTER!: Weird, seriously. Who knew horse drawn carriages could be so sinister? I use the word "admist" which makes me uber happy. Woah, woah, Namu what the hell are you doing here? I think it's time to do the Time Warp.

I love doing this stuff like "NEXT CHAPTER!!!" because I can tease you guys and you all know you love it. You all know reading those makes you excited for the next chapter. YOU KNOW ITS TRUE!

**REVIEW!! PLEASE!!** Cause you know you will, its already been predetermined by the sands of time… _oooooooooo_…. Sneaky, aren't I?

**REIVEW!!**


	9. Starvation

This chapter is a little shorter than the two previous one, which is nice, for me anyway.

Wondering what the hell Ryou is all about? What the fuck is the significance of his character? What crazy plot could he possibly have? Yeah, well, the feeling's mutual. I kid, I kid. I know exactly what's going to happen… as far as you know.

I _love_ the title of this chapter. So simple yet means so many different things… so much symbolic importance. Mwahaha…

No Ryou's were emotionally and physically tortured during the writing of this fic… except in the author's mind… oops.

**

* * *

Chyaputa 9: Starvation**

1. a state of extreme hunger resulting from lack of essential nutrients over a prolonged period

2. the act of depriving of food or subjecting to famine

* * *

The man dropped two copper colored pieces into Ryou's deathly cold hand."T'is week's pay," he grunted, scratching his sea salt dried hair with knurled callused fingers. "I ekpect ya at work tomorra, good n' early. New shipmen' comin' in. Got dat, kid?" he growled from amidst a gizzly, graying beard, through broken rotting teeth. 

Ryou nodded his head, pocketing the coins. The wind coming off the sea picked up, spraying salt on all the hunchbacked workers that were trudging back to their shelters for the night. Giant wooden ships of the British Empire's might fleet creaked and swayed in the merciless gusts of London ports, their great sails tied down making the vessels immovable.

It was late. The sky was black. The streets were pure dark except for a couple of scattered oil lamps that had yet to be knocked out by the sea's wind. The time and a long day of lifting ship cargo weighed heavily on Ryou's eyelids. Like all the other shipyard hands, the English teenager's limbs hurt.

It was cold. Ryou couldn't make out anything through the heavy fog of his breath, even the heavy loaded snowflakes that fell from the sky. He stuck his blistering bitter fingers under his armpits; between the cold and the strain of work the digits were red raw.

Ryou, the teenage, god-fearing, dock laborer, kept breathing. Just a little while longer and he would reach his mother's mistress's house. She worked as a servant for the tiny stank room in the basement and the permission to let her children sleep there at night. Right now she was there alone with Ryou's sister, Amane, no doubt shivering under their one thin blanket.

Ryou turned a corner and there it was, as though gleaming with unnatural light out of the darkness.

A carriage with giant brilliant wheels, a fancy looking door, and a pair of monstrous horses tethered to the front; each of their fury hooves looked about the size of Ryou's skull. It was the most elegant thing Ryou's large brown eyes had every seen. He stopped unconsciously in the middle of the street staring at it, amazed and struck dumb.

"Want a ride?"

Ryou spun, fallen snow fluttered at his cloth wrapped feet.

This couldn't be happening. He was imaging things. A guy with a shiny top hat and fancy looking cane was _not_ talking to him. And amongst the sharp stiff clothes that wafted a musty flower smell around Ryou's numb nostrils, the stranger _couldn't_ be any older than… 18!

"A-a what?" Ryou stammered, still not believing his eyes.

The stranger grinned. The whitest, most brilliant teeth Ryou had ever seen. They reflected out from his unusually dark complexion. "You look cold. Do you want a ride?"

The clouds of fog drifting out of his open mouth were making the stranger's face go all hazy before him.

"Are you sure you're talking to me, sir?" Ryou questioned, despite his bewilderment trying to be humble.

The stranger laughed. His head tilted up and his face hit the flickering light of the nearest lamp. His skin was dark, like some of the old sailors that had been out in the sun too long. Only his skin was smooth and healthy, exotic looking, like the savages in the far south; Ryou had heard stories from the sailors about them.

"Call me Namu." The stranger slipped off his hat and spun it in his hands. Spires of hair the color of dirty sea foam appeared in the lamplight.

A very bad feeling arose in his chest. Ryou wanted to leave but before he knew it the stranger had his arm around Ryou's shoulders, scratchy foreign fabric brushing Ryou's cheek.

"Come now," Namu cooed. "You're not going to turn me down, are you?"

Ryou was inside the carriage, wincing at his ragged appearance next to the stranger's utter and complete elegance. The inside of the carriage smelled good, better than anything Ryou had ever imagined.

"You like sweets?" Namu was offering him a tasty bread treat. "Go ahead, try it."

Ryou's stomach roared. Despite his increasing uneasiness in this fancy guy's presence, Ryou snatched up the food. The bread was surprisingly warm and soft, making Ryou's weak hands sting, and it was filled with some fruity jam. It tasted so good Ryou's dry parched mouth felt unworthy.

Namu's impossible pale eyes sparkled in a way that made Ryou feel very unsettled. "Good, huh Ryou?"

Ryou choked on his food. "How d-do you know my name, sir- ah- I mean, Namu?"

Namu barred his teeth. "I own that shipping company you work for."

Ryou blinked, mouth full of jam. A kid, his age, own a shipping company? Even if that was true, that still didn't explain why a damn rich guy knew the name of a poor kid with barely enough money to feed his family.

Namu settled back into his seat as the carriage rattled along the cobblestone streets. "Say, Ryou, do you believe in… demons?"

Ryou breathed. This was a dream, an illusion. Perhaps he had fallen off that ship railing today, dropped into the sea and drowned. "Sorry, sir. I don't know what you mean exactly…"

"It's not a complicated question," the stranger answered, observing Ryou's frail shivering form with an amused eye.

Ryou raised his chin up in a stubborn way. "I believe in God, sir. I'm not a barbarian, if that's what you mean. Why do you ask, sir?"

Namu chuckled, smooth voice reverberating in his chest, as though Ryou's remark had been humorous. "Just curious."

Ryou gulped. His mouth felt dry under that guy's stare, his stomach strangely empty even after the treat he just consumed. This stranger, Namu, was weird, really weird. No matter how cold it was outside or how nice this guy's food was, Ryou was regretting ever getting in this fancy carriage. He wanted to be in his dinky room with his mother and sister, huddled with them under their safety blanket.

"That's all you need to know isn't it?" Ryou could feel Namu's piercing stare even though he continued to face out the snowy dark window. "All humans have to do is breed, create more life, more souls. That's their only job. Well… that and dying."

Ryou was not following. It sounded like the stranger was talking bitterly to himself rather to him so Ryou decided not to answer. He found he had nothing to say.

The carriage jumped as it hit a large stone on the cobble road. Ryou bounced with it. Where was the carriage even going? Did this stranger know where he lived? Namu looked very composed.

"Aren't you all the perfect little crops?" the stranger mused, eyes rolling. "Some land and water and you all take care of the rest. Perfect creatures for harvesting…"

Ryou felt sick. He knew he shouldn't speak but couldn't stop himself. "Harvesting, sir?"

Namu's mouth stretched too wide across his tanned face. "Harvesting souls, of course. You can't have Higher Beings without proper souls."

Higher Beings? Like God? Like angels? Somehow that didn't seem to be the case. Sickness spun into a tight ball at the back of Ryou's throat. "S-sorry sir- I mean, sorry, Namu, sir, but what are you talking about?"

Namu looked at him and it suddenly became very hard for Ryou to breathe.

"Your destiny, Ryou-kun. You see, all this is really about you."

Ryou's stomach was doing crazy jumping tricks while cold panic rushed through his veins. About him? What was this stranger going on about? Destiny? Souls?

"I-I don't und-derstand-d." It had suddenly gotten much colder in that carriage than it had been a second ago.

Ryou turned. Namu was suddenly sitting, not half a foot from him, on _his_ side of the carriage. Leaning in close…

"Tell me, Ryou," Namu began, voice dripping with sweetness. He reached across the very limited space between them and towered over Ryou, hand landing on the bouncing carriage wall behind him, trapping the frail cargo boy. Ryou had to bite his tongue to stop the scream of terror from escaping.

"If you were to die in this carriage, right now, would your precious _God_ save you?"

Ryou stared, panicked and out of his sensible mind with fear. "No."

Those horrible unearthly pale eyes above him locked on Ryou's weak petrified stare. It was as if someone had stabbed him through both eyes with a pair of knives, blades slicing up into his brain cavity. The pain that erupted in his skull was almost unbearable, piecing his mind. Ryou opened his mouth to scream.

Then nothing. The pain was gone, it had never happened. Ryou was being pinned against the side of the carriage, his limbs frozen to his sides in terror.

Namu revealed all of his perfect white teeth behind his thin, dark lips.

Then the stranger leaned down so that awful mouth was up against Ryou's ear. "Is she safe?" Namu whispered.

For a brief moment curiosity over came Ryou's terror.

'She? Who? Mom? Amane?' Ryou wondered. But before he could find an answer, his body had bolted out of the carriage was already halfway down the street.

Was he imagining it or had he heard maniacal laughter from the carriage before it rattled off down the snowy cobble stone street?

…)(-)-(Starvation)-(-)(…

The present day Ryou hadn't realized that he was screaming until his bedroom door slammed open. Shadows were spinning crazily in random patterns around the room, knocking over his desk, dresser and mirror which smashed as it hit the floor. His vision was going in and out of focus, blacking out for what might have been hours at a time. The only thing he understood was that there was pain everywhere, in the air, in his lungs, traveling through his skin, drilling into his brain.

Somebody had grabbed his arm. Ryou threw his claws at the someone and there was a cry. The sent of blood entangled his nostrils and Ryou immediately dove for it, snapping hungrily at that someone with his foot-long fangs. His jaws enclosed around the someone's arm, drawing more of its blood into his mouth.

_No, its not right, wrong blood… wrong, wrong, wrong…_

Ryou drew away, splitting the distasteful blood from his mouth, all six of his elongated limbs thrashing.

"What the- Atemu, what in Hell is-?" a horrified voice questioned from the doorway from a face Ryou could not see.

"Don't just stand there! Hold him down!" another voice, closer by, ordered fiercely.

Ryou was blind but he felt the body fall down on top of him, using its own weight to try to restrain him. The demon tore at the body that had fallen on top of him, his giant black wings flapped frantically, smacking the sides of the room in desperation and sending great gusts of demonic wind ricocheting off the apartment walls.

"Atemu! I can't keep a grip on him much longer!" the first voice cried over Ryou's continued frantic screams and the destruction of their house. Ryou's clawed foot came in contact with somebody's chin. The first voice grunted. "Fucking hell, Ryou!"

"Hold his head still," the second voice instructed. Hands clasped onto Ryou's skull and neck. No matter how much he spat and writhed under his captors' grip, they would not let go.

All the sudden a disgustingly foul order entered Ryou's super sensitive nasal cavities. His olfactory senses went on the fritz, the smell stinging his brain and dissolving its way down into his blood stream.

It was as though someone had slapped him awake from a horrible nightmare. Ryou blinked for a moment. His large black eyes examined Jounouchi, who had been holding him down, and Atemu with his outstretched arm still holding onto the flask of some vile smelling liquid under his nose.

Then Ryou's limbs went limp and he was suddenly aware of how thoroughly exhausted he was. His demon body collapsed onto the floor.

"Ryou!" Jounouchi cried but it was Atemu who rushed forward. He wrapped his arms around Ryou's shivering body and lifted him onto the bed again.

"_He took so much_," Ryou mouthed urgently to Atemu, clawing at his shirt as he tried desperately to fight off tiredness. "_He took so, so much. I've got nothing left_-"

"Ryou, Ryou can you hear my voice?" Atemu asked urgently. Ryou nodded his head which made the world start revolving again. "I need you to look at me. Ryou, are you listening to me?" There were kind hands on his head, gently guiding him so that he was looking upward. Atemu's blurred worried face swam into Ryou's view. "Can you see me, Ryou?"

"_Yes_," Ryou mouthed through his overly large fangs.

"Do you remember my name?" Atemu asked firmly, not letting go of Ryou's head. Ryou knew what it was but it took a while to get his demon tongue to cooperate with his fangs.

"_Atemu-kun_," Ryou answered softly.

"That's right, Ryou, Atemu. Now, Ryou I need you to follow my instructions exactly, can you do that?" Ryou nodded again. "Your body needs to hibernate, you need to return to your human skin to be able to sleep, ok?"

"_But I don't want to_," Ryou protested, grabbing Atemu's arm. There was a sharp intake of breath; Ryou's claws had accidentally pierced his skin again.

"Ryou, you have to get better," Atemu insisted, stroking his friend's sweaty forehead while gently extracting the giant claws from his flesh. There was a pause before Ryou nodded again.

Slowly at first, Ryou felt the familiar feeling of sinking backwards. His senses immediately dulled as though smothered, and his stretched pointed limbs shrunk back to their dwarf mortal size. His large black wings quivered with distaste as they were forced back into their repression. A tingling sensation rose throughout his skin as his pale human flesh covered up the white and black patches of skin.

"That's good, Ryou. That's real good," Atemu breathed, finally beginning to relax again. "Now I'm going to give you something to help you sleep."

"He doesn't like it when I take potions," interjected Ryou as Atemu asked Jounouchi to hand him the small purple bottle on the end of the shelf.

"He's not here, Ryou," Atemu told his feverish friend. "He's not here anymore."

"He took everything, Atemu-kun. Everything, everything…" Ryou ranted, clutching Atemu with his human hands this time as he tried to keep himself together.

"It's ok, Ryou. Here, take this." There was the rim of a glass bottle pushing into Ryou's lips. Ryou opened his mouth obligingly and swallowed a mouthful, too exhausted to protest.

"He'll get angry," Ryou said as Atemu lowered him onto the bed, the only furnishing in the room that still remained intact.

"Don't worry about that now," Atemu said as he pulled the blankets over Ryou's shivering form.

"He always gets so angry," Ryou mumbled. He could feel the drug Atemu had given him soothing his muscles, already his eyelids were becoming harder to keep open.

Atemu leaned down and kissed the top of Ryou's head like a mother would kiss her child goodnight. Ryou's mind flashed back to the moment where Bakura had given him a kiss of his own that night outside Domino Park. It had been shy and awkward but nice. Real nice…

'Why am I thinking about him now?' Ryou wondered as he let his eyes fall closed. Balancing on the edge of sleep, Ryou imagined instead of the blankets Bakura's bronze arms were encircling him. The thought sent a warm glow through his aching chest that comforted his pained muscles as he finally drifted off to asleep.

…)(-)-(Starvation)-(-)(…

"Atemu, what the fuck was that?" Jounouchi questioned, after Ryou finally went to sleep. The blonde was still quite a bit shaken after his meeting with full-blown demon Ryou. Atemu closed the door to Ryou's room behind him then searched for a roll of bandages to repair his arm which Ryou had bitten and clawed.

"I was afraid that this was going to happen," Atemu commented. "He can't go three months in human world without a blood transfusion nowadays."

"What do you mean?" Jounouchi asked curiously, still pacing the room to work off his nerves. "Are you saying Ryou's what? An _addict_?"

"An extreme one," Atemu confirmed. "This is what he's like when he goes into withdraw." Jounouchi stopped pacing. Blood transfusions were all good when it came to health reasons but… Ryou, the top general of The Kingdom of Hell's Army, addicted to blood transfusions?

"But, that's impossible," Jounouchi said horrified. "Only the lowest level demons get addicted, Ryou can't…"

"It's really not all that surprising," said Atemu before collapsing on the nearby couch with his bandages, which had been once located in the room across the hall before hurricane Ryou hit. "They try to cover it up but most demons that high up in the military ranks are addicts."

"_What_?" Jounouchi exclaimed.

"How do you think you get that much power, Jounouchi?" Atemu explained calmly. "They steal power from other higher demons through their blood and add it to their own."

Jounouchi lowered himself onto the couch next to Atemu, trying to get a hold on this entire confusing situation. "But you can't steal another demons power from simple blood transfusions, you'd have to…" Jounouchi turned sharply to Atemu, eyes wide in disbelief. "Oh fucking hell, not Ryou."

"So I'm assuming you have heard of it," said Atemu, tone surprisingly even.

Jounouchi had. A Blood Ceremony, in which one demon drained another. It was a dangerous activity, demon blood was severely addicting. During the ceremony demons usual lost control and took too much blood, completely draining the other. It was also excruciatingly painful, although the pain was seen by some demons as pleasurable, though Jounouchi had never thought of it that way.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Atemu insisted firmly. "Ryou has been forced into the Blood Ceremony multiple times ever since his soul fell."

"Forced?" Jounouchi mouthed. He had always thought of Ryou as a prodigy, an idol to look up to, this- this couldn't be true. "But how? I mean, if Ryou was forced into it and has been gaining power ever since… he would have had to have participated in the Blood Ceremony with a much stronger demon and well, there's no other demon stronger than him!"

Atemu's expression remained unchanged as he tied off the end of is bandage on his arm and ripped off the excess with his teeth.

Horrible shocking realization hit Jounouchi hard. "You can't- you don't mean- the Master can't…" Jounouchi mumbled, standing up from the couch restlessly. He stopped and turned back to Atemu, already seeing the answer in his crimson eyes. "_The_ Master? The _Master_? Come on, Atemu, I'm sorry but that's just not possible."

"Why not?" Atemu accused as he stood up as well. "The Master can take form. The Master has been calling Ryou and Ryou alone to his palace for ages. Haven't you ever wondered what those black burns covering Ryou's skin are?"

Jounouchi's mouth opened but he didn't speak.

"The Master's poison has been building up in Ryou's system, destroying his appearance. Or do you not want to believe it because you don't want to admit that the all-powerful _Master_ has been preying on once-innocent souls for _simple_ _pleasure_." Atemu's tone had gone so nasty and caustic that Jounouchi thought his human skin might just curl up and dissolve right there. Atemu's voice was deadly soft, as though waiting to explode and let loose the flood of hate that lingered behind his calm expression.

Jounouchi remained silent for a while. He fell back down on the couch in despair, absorbing all this heavy news. Ryou's seemingly random statements suddenly made sense.

"_He took everything, Atemu-kun. Everything, everything…"_

Jounouchi bent his head. Now that he thought of it, he had believed Ryou's burns were a little peculiar. He remembered thinking it was weird that Ryou never got new burns, the old ones just seemed to grow…

'How could I not have noticed!' Jounouchi cursed at himself, shame burning in his gut.

"When I first met Ryou," Jounouchi began after he found his words again, "It was in the Tar Bath House, you know. I used to go there every day to, I don't know, in some hopeless attempt to wash away the Bleaching," Jounouchi admitted gravely. "I saw him struggling to get into a bath once. I was passing by so I helped him. I had no idea he had just gone through… well, I didn't even know who he was at first but once I found out he insisted I not bow, he said he hated it when demons bowed to him." Jounouchi grinned and Atemu sat down beside him again. "You know, even though I was Bleached he treated me exactly the same, as if I was normal. He never even brought it up."

"Sounds like Ryou," Atemu muttered.

Jounouchi nodded and rubbed his scalp. "Hey, Atemu".

Atemu turned curiously toward him. "Yes?"

"Why don't you just date Ryou? That would be much more convenient, wouldn't it?" Jounouchi asked.

Atemu frowned, looking half amused and half appalled, if that was possible. "Oh, I'd _never_ date Ryou. I have to handle too many of his emotional problems as it is. Can you imagine having to put up with him romantically? That would be a hassle."

Jounouchi laughed.

…)(-)-(Starvation)-(-)(…

Bakura's scowl deepened as he glared down yet another group of teenagers, whispering to each other and sending furtive glances his way. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before. So Malik had been right, the whole school really did know about his movie-going and, like Malik, assumed he was doing it simply to… to do whatever sexually active humans did on those _date-_things.

The very thought of Malik made Bakura's anger stew. He was still extremely pissed off about Friday night but… well, he hadn't really known what to expect when he went back to school on Monday, certainly nothing like this.

He had encountered Malik sooner than expected that morning. The annoying human who had once followed him around had been with two other male students Bakura was sure he had never seen before. They had stopped and stared openly at Bakura when he approached, like all the other students in the school.

"Hey, Malik," one of them hissed, elbowing the Egyptian in the side. Malik had looked up, spotted Bakura and then turned immediately back to his locker, without saying a word. This made Bakura annoyed though he wasn't sure why.

"You have _other_ friends?" Bakura commented coldly.

Malik turned on him furiously, face all puffy with rage. "Yeah. I, unlike _you_, have actual social skills. Imagine that!" Malik squeaked angrily. "You'd be surprised what happens if you're _nice_ to people once in a while!"

"You must have been pretty desperate to pick up these lame cronies," Bakura sneered, squinting at the two guys degradingly. The two looked at each other insulted.

Malik took another step forward, eyes glowing with indignation. "They're not my _cronies_! They're my _friends_! Do you even know the definition of that word? It means you don't take advantage of people who might actually _want_ to hang out with you!" Malik practically screamed. Then he spun around and stormed off down the hall.

"Hell, didn't have to scream," Bakura spat nastily.

Malik swerved back and Bakura could have sworn his lilac eyes were inflamed.

"Not _everything_ is about _you_!" Malik shrieked and with that he was gone, his two new friends running after him.

Now Bakura was alone at his locker, Malik-less. It was a very strange sensation. He could suddenly hear himself think without constantly interruption. No one was there to question him incessantly or follow him around or explain random human concepts to him. School was suddenly a much quieter place.

But Ryou wasn't at school. Bakura had entered his first period class to find no fake-smiling, girlie, white-haired teenager there to greet him. Bakura tapped his foot irritably on the tile floor of the school hallway. Where could Ryou be? Was he avoiding him? That didn't seem like something Ryou would do. Maybe Bakura was such a bad kisser that Ryou never wanted to see him again?

Not that he cared about being a bad kisser. He hadn't really tried- he hadn't wanted to try-

"Bakura-kun?" a voice near his elbow asked. Bakura glanced down to see Yugi. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Bakura grunted bad-temperedly, tapping his foot agitatedly again.

"Liar, you're more moody than usual," Yugi stated. Bakura snorted. Yugi was just about the only person who could get away with calling him a liar.

"I saw Malik this morning," Yugi prompted vaguely.

Bakura's mouth twitched unpleasantly.

"He looked really miserable."

"Good," Bakura spat.

Yugi looked concerned. "You guys have a fight?"

"What would we have to fight about?" Bakura accused defensively.

"Fine, fine, forget I asked," Yugi sighed. "By the way have you seen Atemu, I've been looking for him."

"Why the hell would _I_ know where that idiot is?" Bakura snapped. He didn't like Atemu. Aside from Yugi inviting him into their house, _without_ asking, the guy had been really obnoxious when he had drove Bakura home on Friday.

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Nevermind, I give up. You're impossible to deal with when you get like this."

Bakura grumbled dark curses under his breath.

"Ryou's not here either," Yugi observed.

That statement jogged Bakura's brain. For some reason Yugi mentioning Ryou was… unsettling.

"I've noticed," Bakura growled grudgingly.

"That's strange. Neither one of them has ever been sick before and now suddenly both of them aren't here," Yugi pondered curiously.

Bakura's nervous foot froze. "He's sick?" Had his kiss made Ryou ill?

Yugi shrugged. "I don't know. He looked fine on Saturday when I saw him."

"You saw Ryou on Saturday?" Bakura questioned.

Yugi looked confused. "No, I saw Atemu on Saturday," he corrected.

Bakura's expression darkened. "What were you doing with _Atemu_ on Saturday?" he accused suspiciously. Yugi's cheeks flushed pink, a sign, Bakura knew, that Yugi was hiding something.

"We went to a game shop, that's all," Yugi muttered, carefully not looking at Bakura.

"Uh-huh, _right_," Bakura drawled unbelievingly. "I wouldn't hang around with that jerk if I were you."

The pink in Yugi's cheeks was spreading to his ears now. "Look, I think I can take care of myself," he said as fiercely as his gentle demeanor would allow. "I got to meet up with Jounouchi-kun and the others, see you at home," he said and walked away down to the hall in the direction of the lunchroom.

"Whatever," Bakura growled, his bad mood increasing.

…)(-)-(Starvation)-(-)(…

Throughout the previous day, the London alley had filled up with snow. The white powder clung to the corners of the brick house Ryou the Englishman, the dockhand, the cargo laborer, used to sleep in.

The house that was currently full of screams.

After jumping out of the elegant carriage ride the previous night, Ryou had found himself extraordinarily on the steps of his mother's mistress's manor. Not thinking, he had rushed into the house and down into the basement…

The mistress had been expecting guests the next afternoon. When they had arrived, they had found no one there to greet them, except a sixteen-year-old boy, huddled with his mother's and sister's bodies for warmth. The cold had kept the unholy sent of fresh corpses from consuming the whole street.

The mistress's entire household, including servants, was dead.

Night had fallen once more. Ryou was in his alley, wrapped in his family's only possession, a thin, tattered blanket, now splotched with dark stains. No one asked him what happened. No one asked him why he hadn't alerted the neighbors when he had first found them.

No one asked him about Namu. Ryou was certain they would. Eventually someone would see. Someone would know that it was all his fault. So as the house filled up with mourning, wailing people, Ryou had slipped out unnoticed, utterly invisible.

"Tragic, isn't it?"

That voice made Ryou want to die.

His head lifted, and he saw Namu's golden face staring down at him underneath his shinny top hat.

The dirty alley got much, much colder. Ryou's insides were shrieking with terror and if Ryou had been smart he probably would have been too.

Namu had a strange object in between his teeth. A wooden tube, with smoke wafting out of the end like there was some small hidden fire in there.

"Tobacco," Namu commented, noticing how Ryou's brown eyes concentrated on the blue gray smoke swirling in the wind. "Imported, from the New World. Don't try to wrack your brain, your society won't hear of it for another fifty years."

Ryou did not comprehend his words. All he knew was that Namu was breathing in that fire like it was air. The smoke curled out of the corners of his lips and each nostril.

"How… Why are you h-here?" Ryou questioned, voice very small. His knees felt weak like he was going to collapse at any moment. "Are you f-following me?"

For some reason, he had the over whelming notion that he was about to die, right there in that alleyway and some unexplained notion was telling him that no godly force in the universe could prevent it.

Namu targeted Ryou with his pale eyes.

"Only a little," he taunted. Ryou went numb; he was scared out of his freaking mind.

"Were you- did you- do you know-" Ryou stammered helplessly.

"You want to know if I had anything to do with your mother's and sister's murder and that of your employers?" Namu smirked. "What if I said no? Would you believe me?"

Ryou's throat was too swollen for speech and Namu chuckled.

"You have good instincts," he commented casually. "I like you."

Ryou wanted to scream but his jaw was clenched too tight.

"Are you going to kill me?" the human boy asked, trembling like mad.

To Ryou's great shock, Namu laughed. "Why? Do you want to die?" he chuckled gleefully, blue gray smoke shooting from his mouth and nose. Ryou did not answer. "Don't be so serious."

"Are you a demon?" Ryou asked.

Namu paused, breathing out another puff of venomous gas. Something was stirring behind his gleaming pale eyes.

"Now that," he stated, tapping the end of his pipe as though to stir up the fire, "Is a very _personal_ question. I don't think I know you well enough to answer just yet." The smell of his rank breath in the freezing winter air stung Ryou's nostrils. Namu inhaled a long draft and coughed. "Nasty stuff."

Ryou watched him in horrified wonder. "What killed them?" he asked, fearing the answer.

Namu took the time to breathe out the remaining smoke in his mouth before answering. "You're getting braver," he observed mildly.

"I saw their bodies," Ryou continued weakly, arms crossing over his chest as if to protect himself from the memory. "They were… that wasn't…" He could still see them in his mind. Bits and pieces of the mistress and her family, the gardener, the butler, the cook… his sister, his mother… All there to greet him. Parts, unrecognizable flesh hanging, strewn, scattered…

"Are you going to cry?" Namu asked suddenly. He was serious this time, judging Ryou's reaction carefully.

Ryou paused, not sure what Namu meant. It seemed like a very odd question. He hadn't even been thinking about it.

"No…" Ryou admitted truthfully.

Namu smirked. "I'm pleased. You're a fast learner." He flipped his pipe and some brown smoldering mess dropped into the icy snow with a hiss.

Immediately, Ryou scrambled backwards.

"Stand still," Namu ordered and for reasons beyond his control, Ryou obeyed.

Namu brought his hand up to his own mouth and then bit the tanned skin on the edge of his finger until it bled. Ryou winced; he had always been queasy at the sight of blood. Namu grinned and then offered his hand to Ryou, holding it an inch above Ryou's mouth. A drop of the crimson liquid was hanging from the end of his finger, quivering tantalizingly above Ryou's lips.

"Taste it," Namu ordered.

"_What_?" Ryou questioned horrified. "No! I'm not going to-" But a deadly look from Namu's pale unearthly eyes silenced him.

"I don't reveal myself to just anyone, you know. You should be flattered," Namu spoke savagely.

Ryou flinched.

"Taste it," he commanded nastily. For the first time since he and Ryou had met, he sounded irritated. Perhaps… impatient?

'This is wrong. So, so wrong,' Ryou told himself. He watched his timid mouth lift, leaning forward. 'No, please don't make me… I don't want to do…' The edge of his tongue barely grazed the tip of Namu's finger. He could feel the drop of blood slide down the back of his mouth, into his throat and land like a rock in his stomach. It singed Ryou's flesh as it went and the boy bent over double, coughing violently in revulsion. God, it _hurt_! He felt Namu patting him on the back.

"There, there, not so bad, was it?" he said, almost proud.

"W-hy?" Ryou croaked, coming back up.

"So you can always be a part of me," Namu answered simply. There was a hand on his chest and Ryou suddenly found himself backed against a wall.

Namu's arms closed Ryou, their two bodies pressed together. Ryou's skin was writhing as though on fire, his body shivering with fear and repugnance to Namu's closeness.

"You have an intoxicating smell," Namu moaned, hands running through Ryou's long fluffy hair. "So fresh… nearly ripe for the picking…" There was something wet and cold on the soft spot between Ryou's neck and shoulder. "I can't wait…" The saliva burned Ryou's pale skin like acid leaving a permanent mark. "We're going to have so much fun together."

Ryou wanted to scream but his brain wouldn't allow it.

* * *

…)(-)-(Starvation)-(-)(…

* * *

Woah. Symbolic demon rape right there. Not that I support rape. Cause I don't.

So… I love this chapter for obvious reasons. Originally Ryou's back story scenes were in modern times and then I was like, "DUH! He's 2 hundred years old!" Had to rewrite the whole scenes. Awful. Except I added that lovely "Do you think your God will save you?" line with makes me all shivery. I don't actually know if they had cobble stone streets back then though…

Bakura is amazing. I love his and Yugi's interactions. But then I wrote an entire fic about that. Mwahahaha…

NEXT CHAPTER!: I'll give you a clue, the next chapter is called **Infatuation**, teehee. Get over yourself Bakura! _Aw_, you know you don't like that alarm clock or contemplating the meaning of life as much as you like Ryou. Jou invades Kaiba's house, oops.

For another successful week of being me, and you, I suppose. For Bakura's deliberate lack of subjects in his sentences:

**REVIEW!!  
**

It's true! See: "Hell, didn't have to scream," and "Like that, huh?" very curt, boorishly delightful.

**REVIEW!!**


	10. Infatuation

**SPASTIC UPDATING MUCH! MOTHER OF YAOI!  
**

You guys are allowed to smack me around a bit if I'm not updating, you know. It's ok. I deserve it. Honestly I'm just forgetful and busy.

Get ready for Atemu to say super special sexual innuendos. I just noticed this the last time I read through it. Ha!

Bakura... is... an... idiot.

No alarm clocks were particularly fascinating during the writing of this fic.

* * *

Chyaputa 10: Infatuation

1. a foolish, illogical and usually extravagant passion or love or admiration

2. temporary love of an adolescent

3. an object of extravagant short-lived passion

* * *

The smell of Atemu cooking on the other side of the room awakened Ryou from his sleep. 

"Are you making me breakfast?" Ryou asked, poking his head out from the covers, revealing extremely disheveled white hair.

"Breakfast?" Atemu commented. "I should be making you dinner by now." The stench of whatever Atemu was concocting burned the inside of Ryou's nose.

"Good, I don't have to eat it then," he said, pulling the covers over his nose and turning over in his bed.

"Oh no, you're eating it," Atemu insisted, getting up and walking over to Ryou's bed side, carrying a large cup of his latest steaming herb potion. "You're going to drink every last drop of it and I'm going to sit here and watch you."

Ryou would have protested further, but he noticed that Atemu's left arm was bandaged all the way up to the elbow.

"I did that, didn't I?" said Ryou, guilt-ridden.

Ryou saw the truth in his friend's crimson eyes before Atemu could answer.

"It's nothing, I've had worse," the Soldier demon reassured simply. He held the mug up. "Drink."

Ryou made a face. "Atemu-kun…" he whined, turning away. It smelled so nasty Ryou wanted to hurl right there.

But Atemu was persistent. "I don't want to hear it," he demanded sternly. "If Jounouchi can take his potion then you can too."

"I'm not that bad Atemu-kun really, I'll be fine," Ryou insisted pushing the cup away.

"Fine?" Atemu questioned as his voice trembled with a sudden anger, an uncharacteristic break from his normal composure. "_Fine_? Goddamn it, Ryou! Stop lying! Don't tell me stupid things like that! You think last night you were _fine_?"

More guilt, Ryou regretted rejecting Atemu's help. The older demon's face looked pale and strained with stress. an expression Ryou usually only saw after his secret meetings with the Master. Atemu must have been up all night cleaning up Ryou's mess.

"I'm sorry, Atemu-kun," Ryou apologized softly, head bent. He knew how much Atemu hated seeing him like this. He felt ashamed for causing Atemu so much stress. But Atemu closed his eyes, breathed, and held out the cup of sizzling potion again.

"If you really feel sorry you should drink this and make it up to me," said Atemu stiffly.

Ryou hesitated then took the mug; the heat from the hissing toxic mixture warmed his hands. "Are you sure there isn't another way?" Ryou asked again, wincing with disgust as he looked into the cup. "Wouldn't it be easier to… Couldn't I just…?"

"If you're thinking about a blood transfusion, forget it," Atemu said flatly. "That's not even possible down here. There is no suitable candidate to give you any blood. I'm too low in class and Jounouchi, well... I think you _know_ what will happen to you if you take blood from someone who's Bleached," Atemu scolded thickly.

Ryou was ashamed for bringing it up.

With one last weak glance at the contents of the mug, Ryou squeezed his eyes shut and then, as slowly as possible, he took a timid sip. He choked and coughed. "Oh- that's _vile_!" Ryou hacked, eyes beginning to water.

Atemu frowned. "I'm not leaving until you finish that," he stated firmly, crossing his arms over his chest as though he were getting ready to wait for eternity. Ryou shivered with another look of revulsion at the steaming cup. "You know the faster you do it, the sooner you'll get it over with," Atemu advised.

Ryou took a deep breath then tilted the mug backwards and downed the potion. He came back up gagging violently, face turning, if possible, paler. In between coughs, Ryou moaned, "Oh… Atemu-kun, this human body doesn't like that stuff. It wants to throw up…" He fell back down on the bed as the older demon took the mug from his shaky hands and placed it on his bedside table.

"Don't let it," Atemu advised. "If you do, you'll just have to swallow it again." Ryou turned his face into the folds of his blankets fighting the stomach hiccups. Atemu put a soothing hand on Ryou's back. "Sorry. Your body's not used to potions so it will probably give you some trouble, just try to keep it down, ok?" Ryou nodded into the bed again. "Get some rest." Ryou coughed in answer.

Atemu sighed, gave Ryou one last comforting pat and moved away, leaving the Prince of Hell to his illness.

There was a rattle of wooden cabinets; Atemu was changing his bandages. The Soldier hissed as off the old bandage from wounds on his arm.

"Does it hurt?" Ryou asked, insides heavy as he turned his head to watch Atemu clean his deep cuts with his medicines.

"Ryou, it's nothing," Atemu insisted, not looking at him. In another sweep of remorse, Ryou's stomach lurched as though in punishment.

Then the doorbell rang.

"Oh shit," Atemu cursed. His had just removed all his bandages and his wounds were still smoking from the medication.

Not wanting Atemu to answer the door with a bloody arm, Ryou stood up. "I'll get it Atemu-kun," Ryou offered, already walking over to the door.

"Are you sure, Ryou? You really shouldn't be standing up..."

"I'm fine. Walking will steady my stomach, really," Ryou responded, using the wall for support as he made his way to the front landing. He approached the front door and as his hand landed on the knob a strange all consuming feeling came over him that shook his insides worse than Atemu's potion ever could.

Ryou saw himself opening the door and on the other side was the Master, with that horrible sadistic smile of his.

And those eyes, those eyes…

Ryou's head spun, his grip grew sweaty on the doorknob. Sickly, deadly fear was making him tremble and his knees weak.

'But why? Why's he here? Is he checking up on me? Does he want to…?' Ryou shook himself violently. He thought he was going to throw up at any moment. Should he open the door? Would the Master force his way in if Ryou didn't answer? Either way he would be angry and no one wanted to get the Master angry.

Finally Ryou fought up enough strength to turn the handle and the front door swung open. He winced then looked up to see his visitor.

"Ah… hey," a rough voice greeted grudgingly.

Ryou blinked up into Bakura's stiff expression. "Oh." Ryou stood up straighter, unexpected tingling relief spread through his system. "Hi," he responded.

Bakura looked very uncomfortable, standing there on Ryou's doorstep. "You, ah… look like crap."

Ryou was confused. "What?"

"You, ah, look sick," Bakura clarified hastily. "You know, not normally, just today, right now- cause, ah, normally you look, ah… normal…"

"Oh," Ryou realized. Bakura was acting really weird today. "Um, you want to come in?"

"Sure," Bakura grumbled. Ryou stepped out of the way to let Bakura inside the house and awkwardly closed the door behind him.

"Who was it?" Atemu called from Ryou's bedroom.

"It's Bakura," Ryou called back. "He's come for a visit."

And just as Ryou expected, the sound of demonic objects being randomly stuffed into drawers and locked in cupboards issued from Ryou's bedroom.

"Who's that?" Bakura asked harshly.

"Atemu," said Ryou obviously.

Bakura froze in his tracts. "Why is _he_ here?" he questioned accusingly, a snarl on his lips.

"He lives here," Ryou answered simply.

Bakura paused. "But this is _your_ house."

Ryou nodded. "Yeah."

"So… he lives in _your_ house?" Bakura questioned.

"Yeah," Ryou affirmed. "Is there something wrong with that?" he asked seeing Bakura's expression grow more and more rigid.

"Does he live here all the time?"

"Pretty much. We're roommates," Ryou explained.

"Roommates…?" Bakura repeated. His head was bent, looking determinedly at the floor though Ryou wasn't quite sure why.

"Yeah. Are you ok?" Ryou asked out of concern.

"But why _him_?" Bakura interrupted, not answering Ryou's question.

"Atemu-kun? He's my best friend," Ryou said plainly.

Bakura's head lifted, looking more confused than angry now. "_Best_ friend?"

"Yeah, we've known each other for ages. He's helped me out a lot. Is everything ok?" Bakura's expression had hardened. His jaw grew even more stiff. He wasn't looking directly at Ryou either, which made it impossible for Ryou to know what Bakura was thinking. He had just assumed that Bakura knew about him, Atemu, and Jounouchi living together. Everyone else did, right? So why was Bakura so angry again?

"Alright," Atemu announced emerging from Ryou's bedroom. Ryou noticed he had conveniently borrowed one of Ryou's sweatshirts to cover up the wounds on his arm. "I've, ah, cleaned up the mess in there, you know, made your bed, replaced your tissue box…"

"Thanks, Atemu-kun," Ryou said.

Bakura fumed in silence.

"And I'll take that," Atemu said rushing over and stealing the still smoking mug in Ryou's hand. Ryou hadn't even realized he still had it. Atemu gave his friend a severe warning look as he passed. "Just going to go get you some new _tea_," he emphasized, taking the cup of potion out of sight.

'Oops,' Ryou thought, silently reminded himself to thank Atemu later.

"What? Is he your _maid_?" Bakura growled, bad tempered.

"Don't mind him, he always does this," Ryou explained mildly, positioning himself so that Bakura wouldn't wander off into a room with potentially incriminating stuff in it. Atemu stuck his head back into the hall, red eyes fixing on Ryou.

"And you better get back to bed right now or I'll come out there and make you," Atemu threatened seriously.

"But Bakura-kun just came over," Ryou protested.

Atemu's face seemed to tighten, exactly the way Bakura's had done. "Oh. Yes," Atemu began dryly, turning reluctantly to Bakura, "Ryou's got to get his strength back. Thanks for coming but you can talk to him all you want tomorrow."

Bakura was about to come back with, what was probably going to be a very angry retort, but Ryou interrupted him.

"Come on, Atemu-kun, just for a little while," Ryou said and, following some unknown urge, put an arm around Bakura's elbow. Bakura went strangely silent after that, so did Atemu. "He did come all this way."

Atemu paused, fixated on Ryou and Bakura's linked arms.

"Just for a few minutes," Atemu insisted and then with another glare at Bakura he went back into the kitchen.

Ryou pulled Bakura into his bedroom, the only safe room to bring guests since Atemu had just cleaned up. "Here," Ryou released Bakura's arm and curled up on his bed, "This way I'm in bed and Atemu can't argue, right?"

Bakura grunted inaudibly in answer and avoided Ryou's stare again by loosely examining the space. Atemu had done a good job of hiding everything. His tiny cauldron and various ingredients had all been stuffed into the wooden cupboard on the other side of the room and then locked.

"So why'd you come over?" Ryou asked, pulling the blankets up over himself.

Bakura seemed to be very interested in the alarm clock on Ryou's desk, but Ryou just wanted Bakura to look at him again.

"You can sit down if you want," Ryou offered helpfully, patting the covers of his bed.

Bakura grunted again and sat down on the bed, again not facing Ryou.

"I, ah- the teacher told me to bring you the homework," Bakura grumbled and Ryou noticed a stack of papers under his arm.

"Thanks," Ryou said, taking the homework Bakura offered him and placing it on his bedside table.

Bakura was looking at the floor. "Are you really sick?" he asked. There was a strange tone in his voice. If only Bakura would look at him…

"Ah yeah, I am," Ryou answered. "Why do you ask?"

Bakura's frame stiffened. "I thought you might…" he muttered, hesitating, hands gripping the covers underneath him. "Never mind."

Ryou sat up. "You thought I what?"

"Nothing," Bakura growled.

"Oh." Ryou and Bakura both went silent. Ryou's large brown eyes were fixed on the back of Bakura's untidy white-haired head, willing it to turn.

"Friday night… you know, after Malik left…"said Bakura suddenly.

"You mean when you kissed me?" Ryou asked bluntly.

Bakura was so startled he nearly fell off the bed, which was odd because Bakura had seemed so cool about the kiss at the time.

"Ah… sure," Bakura grumbled, trying to compose himself again. "Just wanted to make sure you weren't… thinking that I…"

"I know," said Ryou, settling back down into his blankets. "You were just testing, right? It didn't mean anything."

Bakura didn't answer.

"Is that why you thought I didn't come to school today?" Ryou asked.

Bakura shrugged, which probably meant "yes" but who really knew with Bakura anyway.

"Um, how's school?" Ryou asked, starting up the conversation again.

At this Bakura scowled. "Malik yelled at me," he commented angrily.

Ryou's eyes widened. "Malik?" he repeated in amazement. "What did he say?"

"I don't remember," Bakura snarled, glaring hatefully down at Ryou's wooden floor. "Something like not taking advantage of friends or something."

Ryou sighed, "Poor Malik."

Bakura turned his dark violet eyes upon Ryou finally. But he was furious. "Poor _Malik_?" he snarled.

"Well… you were pretty harsh on him, even though he _was_ out of line," Ryou added.

Bakura scoffed in disgust, stood up from the bed and began to pace the room. "How was I to know he… you know…" Bakura growled, stuttering and getting flustered despite himself. "Dammit!"

Ryou watched his infuriated friend calmly from his bed.

"He pisses me off! L_anding_ his feelings on me! And invading my personal space…." Bakura ranted fiercely.

"Why does it bother you so much?" Ryou asked, tone collected and trying to be casual.

Bakura's pacing stopped, looking for answer. "I don't know," Which of course in Bakura language meant he didn't want to tell Ryou. He glared angrily out the window, hands balled into fists. "He's just a stupid idiot, right?" Bakura growled.

Ryou assumed this was a rhetorical question and did not answer. Minutes went by and Bakura finally began to calm down again.

"Do _you_ think I took advantage of Malik?" Bakura asked, voice softer now.

Ryou hesitated as he pondered. "I don't think you _purposely_ took advantage of him," he explained logically. "I think you two just misunderstood each other. Malik saw things that weren't there and you, well… didn't see the things that _were_ there."

"That…" Bakura paused, dark violet eyes glaring at Ryou as his mind churned, "Makes absolutely no sense."

Ryou shrugged. "Sorry, that's the best I could do."

Bakura scowled. "So… what now?"

"You could apologize," Ryou suggested.

Bakura scoffed. "Hell no."

"…or you could wait until he apologizes," Ryou continued.

Bakura shrugged as though this solution sounded acceptable.

"Malik's been really hurt by this, he's not going to get over it that easily." Ryou advised.

Just then Atemu appeared in the doorway, face stern. "Ok, you've had ten minutes, now let Ryou get some rest," Atemu said in a badly-disguised order.

"Fine," Bakura growled and stood up.

Something beeped in the kitchen and Atemu ran off.

Bakura and Ryou were left alone to say their goodbyes.

"Thanks for coming over," said Ryou.

Bakura nodded awkwardly. "Will you be in school tomorrow?" Bakura asked, examining Ryou's alarm clock again.

"I hope so," Ryou said. "Good luck with Malik."

Bakura grunted in reply.

As he turned to leave, their stares clashed and Ryou knew that Bakura was going to kiss him again; the human could not resist. But minutes went by and Bakura did not move forward. Finally he muttered one last "seeya" and then left.

Ryou leaned back into his cushions as he heard the front door open and then close as Bakura left their apartment. A wave of disappointment washed over him.

'That's the second time I've been wrong today,' Ryou thought sadly as he drifted off to sleep before Atemu could come back into the room and lecture him about his choice of friends again.

...)(-)Infatuation(-)(...

Papers were piling up. Documents were left disorganized and un-filed. Memos had been thrown away without being read. There was no doubt in Kaiba Seto's mind why his ordered life was disintegrating.

He had not achieved a regular sleep pattern within the last week. Sleep meant eternal tossing and turning before possibly achieving blissful unconsciousness. With sleep came dreams, which were more like memories, which were much worse than any nightmare his subconscious brain could possibly conceive.

Instead of being productive with his abnormally large amount of waking time, it was yet another source of aggravation. After all, human bodies could not function efficiently without proper rest and regeneration. Without it, the brain would deteriorate and slow down.

Kaiba finished his fourth cup of coffee. He loathed the taste of the drink but it kept his human skin pseudo-functional. He moved onto the next document, next chart of statistics, next endless round of arguing with his advisers, lawyers, programmers who had undoubtedly screwed up another aspect of his precious business…

By the time Kaiba realized that it was Monday it was already eleven o'clock in the morning, three hours into the school day. He called in sick. It was a favorable situation; he would have the opportunity to finish the program he had begun the previous day and he would not have to face that blonde idiot. For_ that_ at least gave Kaiba comfort.

At least, that's what he had believed.

It was 4:52 in the afternoon when his secretary buzzed him.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Kaiba-sama, but there's a student outside your front gate. He's been standing there for almost an hour. Should we let him in?"

Kaiba's stomach dropped. He knew exactly which student that was.

"No," Kaiba responded and hung up on her.

At 5:37 his secretary rang him again.

"I'm extremely sorry, Kaiba-sama, but the student I told you about before is still here and he won't go away…"

Kaiba leaned back in his computer chair. He didn't want to see the fool. Kaiba _never_ wanted to see him again. He didn't want the idiot within a hundred mile radius. He was persistent, irritatingly persistent, as usual. What did he hope to accomplish? The fool couldn't possibly do anything else to humiliate him.

This could not go on any longer.

Kaiba needed to get rid of this nuisance. The idiot intruded too much; it was effecting his ability to perform his orders from the Council. But how to stop the fool? If the idiot wanted to talk that was harmless, right? Unlike at school, his office had no witnesses, no one to over hear, not to mention a dozen human guards at his command. He would hear the idiot, impair his advances and then threaten him with so many lawyers and lawsuits that the blonde would have to yield.

"Send him up to my office," Kaiba conceded, then hung up without waiting for a reply. His resolve was firm. He was going to end this nonsense. Ten minutes later the door to his office opened. Three guards lead the blonde into his office.

"Leave us," Kaiba ordered from his desk. The three guards exited, and Jounouchi was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the lavish office. He too was far from the peek of health; his usual thick golden hair was unkempt and there was a stressed air about him.

Kaiba sat up as straight as his back would allow him and gripped both his armrests tightly, bracing himself for the conversation.

Silence.

"Ah… I'm surprised," the idiot offered awkwardly. His gaze drifted "You were actually telling the truth." Kaiba's face did not move. He did not answer. He did not ask the blonde to clarify what he was talking about. "There really is a company called Kaiba Corporation. Guess you couldn't come up with anything more creative, huh?" the idiot laughed nervously.

A joke: its purpose to lighten the mood. Kaiba was not amused.

More silence. The blonde was getting more and more nervous by the second.

"I guess not everything you said that night was a lie," the idiot continued.

It was a unwise to probe a response from the CEO.

"Though perhaps most of it was," Kaiba spoke coldly. It didn't take much for the blonde to get confused. Kaiba readied himself for the idiot's retort but instead the blonde changed the subject.

"Why didn't you come to school today?" the idiot asked. Kaiba could tell he was trying to keep his voice casual.

"Some simpleton downstairs forgot to send in the order for some necessary supplies for our next project. I had to stay here and repair the damage," Kaiba lied briskly. The idiot was caught off-guard at this unrelated answer, but he clumsily recovered

"Why have you been avoiding me?" the idiot questioned. He took a step toward Kaiba's desk but the CEO could not be intimidated.

"I haven't. You're imagining things," Kaiba responded shortly.

The blonde gave him an unbelieving look. "You run from me at the end of every class, you never answer me when I talk to you. You even changed where you eat during lunch!"

Kaiba was collected. "I didn't know I had to consult you before choosing where I spend my free time."

"You've been sitting in that same room every single day for the entire year! And now you just _happen_ to feel the urge to change it?" the idiot questioned, saturated with sarcasm.

This was all part of Kaiba's plan; the idiot would become steadily angrier while he would remain unresponsive.

"What I do does not require your concern," Kaiba answered coldly.

But he admitted to himself that he had at one time indulged in the idiot's company. He had, after all, stayed in that classroom all semester specifically so Jounouchi could find him… but that had been one of his numerous mistakes.

Meanwhile the blonde's face was glowing with humiliation, anger, or possibly a mix of both. "You- you-"

"Why have you needed to find me? Are you following me?" Kaiba accused loftily.

The blonde clamped up immediately. He was like a puppet on strings, when Kaiba pulled at a nerve and the idiot would have a predictable reaction. Kaiba smirked. He was in control of this situation, not this fool who dared to stalk him and barge into his home.

"I just… just… Shit, Kaiba. I just want to talk!" the idiot cried.

Kaiba's smirk vanished; the idiot had said his name. So they were already back to that. Kaiba had predicted the blonde to deny that he had stalked Kaiba. This was an unforeseen wrinkle in his scheme.

"Talk?" Kaiba repeated mildly. The word stung. His folded hands rested underneath his nose in a cool composure.

"Yeah…" said the idiot, volume dying. "You know, about… you know."

"There is nothing to discuss. You never held up your end of the deal," Kaiba informed him business-like, shuffling papers on his desk and trying to make himself look busy and distracted, to give the impression that he had more important things to do then dwell upon that night. "I didn't receive a poster from you, therefore I did all the work. You didn't fulfill your assignment so I don't see why it's any of my business the failing grade you got-"

"I'm not talking about the fucking _poster_, Kaiba," the idiot growled. "I'm talking about when…" He stopped. His arms were trembling, Kaiba could see the muscles in the idiot's throat working over time. He couldn't say it. Kaiba knew he wouldn't say it. He couldn't. "… That night at the party," the idiot finished.

Kaiba's back went rigid, but none of his internal feelings reflected on his face.

"And?" Kaiba sneered coldly. "What are you insinuating?"

"Come on Kaiba, you _know_ what I'm talking about," said the idiot frustratingly. "At the party, Friday before last…"

Kaiba's expression did not flinch. That had been the third time that arrogant imbecile had said his name.

"And?" Kaiba commented.

The idiot faltered. The stench of unpleasantness in the air was growing stronger.

"Well, it's kinda _important_ to talk about!" the idiot snapped. "People don't just randomly go up to someone and…" There was silence. The idiot was getting flustered. "_Look_. There's got to be a reason!"

"No, there doesn't," Kaiba interrupted sharply. The idiot looked shocked. "As I recall, we were both severely intoxicated. There was no reason. It was a mistake. Therefore there is no need to talk about it," he stated officially.

The blonde gaped opened mouthed. "Wha- What are you…?" The idiot had reached Kaiba's desk, his hands fumbling on its smooth surface. "Things just don't happen like _that_." The idiot's voice was getting shrill; he was panicking. "What are we supposed to do now?" he asked in a more submissive tone.

"I've told you before, there is no 'we'. There was a misunderstanding and now its over." Kaiba's voice was quivering, fighting to stay calm. He stood up, positioning himself higher than his visitor.

The blonde's honey brown eyes went wide. "So that's it. You're just going to pretend like it never happened?" the idiot spat.

"What did you expect?" Kaiba accused nastily. He had not even recognized his rising blood pressure. "Did you think this could all be resolved happily? Did you really think your little trick would work? Do you really think _any_ of that meant _anything_ to_me_?"

The stupid idiot was struck dumb, shot down by Kaiba's harsh words. Now would be the time when a sane person would leave but this idiot was too stubborn. Once again the brilliant fool had to stun Kaiba with his unpredictability.

"Yeah, I did," the idiot admitted. "Because you can't- just_ignore_ what happened!"

A muscle somewhere in Kaiba's face was twitching. The idiot was _not_ supposed to say that. He was _not_ suppose to admit any of this. The Tainted angel's hands landed on his desk, the only object right now that kept the two of them apart.

"I can," Kaiba stated, voice poisonous and deadly.

The idiot was trembling like crazy. Before Kaiba could react, the idiot had reached across the table and grabbed the front of Kaiba's shirt. "Well, _I_ can't! _Ok_?" he cried. His rich brown eyes were shiny.

The idiot had pulled them so close that Kaiba could thoroughly examine the beads of sweat forming on the blonde's forehead. Kaiba was breathing in his smell. The scent was way too familiar…

Then the CEO's hands lifted from the desk and he shoved the idiot violently off of him. That had been the last straw. Kaiba had snapped. He had never felt so riled up before. Something was going wild in his gut. It made his hands tremble. He did not like this feeling.

"Get. Out." Kaiba ordered. His body was out of control. "_Get out_! Get the _fuck_ OUT!"

Finally the idiot ran from the room, slamming Kaiba's fancy office door behind him.

...)(-)Infatuation(-)(...

"Why am I here?" Bakura growled irritably, chin planted firmly in his hand, which was balanced on top of his bent knee. His dark violet eyes were glazed over in absolute boredom. His harsh breath came out in sharp puffs of mist.

The weather, much to Bakura's disapproval, had taken a turn for the worst. It was cold, fucking cold.

"Are you asking in general cosmos of the universe or here in the stands?" Ryou asked curiously. He was wearing a blue coat and a pair of white gloves that protected him from the frigid environment and looked perfectly content as always.

Bakura gave his companion a look, stuffing his hands into his pockets to warm them up. "I mean in the _cold_, watching this… this… what's this again?"

"Baseball?" Ryou suggested helpfully.

"Yeah," Bakura drawled, his face expressing complete loathing for the sport.

He hadn't wanted to come. He was wasting his time. He could be doing_anything_ else other than observing this tremendously tedious activity. Why was he here? Why had he come?

But Bakura knew it was useless asking questions like that anymore.

Somehow it hadn't seemed all that bad, knowing that Ryou was going to be here. The fact that Ryou would be with him made a difference. He wasn't sure why.

The human annoyed him, but not the way Kaiba or Atemu annoyed him. Ryou was so damn calm about everything, so observant. It irked Bakura how stuff would be happening all around him and Ryou never got involved. He never pissed anyone off. He was so weird. Like no one Bakura had ever met.

"Do we _have_ to watch this?"

"I want to see our school play," Ryou answered simply, not even the slightest change in his tone when Bakura barked at him. "You don't have to stay."

Bakura paused, heat that had not come from furiously rubbing his human palms together invaded his throat. Unable to find a good excuse for his out burst, he slouched back down in his seat and fell into silence. Ryou didn't bring it up again.

And the game continued, growing more and more horrendously monotonous by the second.

Was Ryou actually _enjoying_ this?

He and Ryou had been spending a lot of time together recently. Why? Burning frustration was building up in his brain.

Restless, Bakura shifted his position and made to put his hand on the metal bench beneath him… but found Ryou's softly glove already there. Both of their hands jumped away at the touch.

"Sorry," Ryou mumbled and put his hands in his lap.

Bakura turned his head away, grunted something that even he didn't even understand and shoved his hand back into his pocket. Now what? What were they doing? Was his human heart beating faster than usual? _Again_? Bakura wanted to scream.

If only there was someone to explain this to him. Not Ryou, he was the entire problem. It had to be someone Bakura didn't have to ask. Someone who would explain things to him without question. Someone like…

"Hey look," Ryou said. "It's Malik."

Bakura shook himself enough to peer down at the bottom of the stands. A rather sizable group of students gathered on the ground and Malik was right in the center of the mass of winter jackets, scarves, and hats. He was chattering excitedly away again, like he used to when Bakura was the only one who had to deal with the Egyptian's teenage mood swings and cryptic behavior.

Anger flared up in Bakura. Ryou saw it and sighed.

"Fine, fine, let's go," he insisted and stood up. Bakura was barely two steps behind him. They climbed down the stairs and were passing by the outside of the group when Malik, laughing and smiling, stepped out of it.

"I'll get your fucking soda if you keep your freaking pants on! God, I'm going as fast as I can!" Malik shouted back into the group as he dug money out of his pockets. Then that he spotted them. His face brightened as he saw Ryou but then fell as his gaze traveled over Bakura sulking behind him. "Oh, hey Ryou," Malik said to the pale teenager.

"Hi," Ryou greeted politely. "How's math?"

"Oh great. Yeah, ah, Taiping-sensei gave me a 'B' on the last test," Malik answered, not looking at Bakura at all.

"That's really good," Ryou congratulated. Bakura scowled, irritated that he had absolutely no idea what was going on. Malik nodded but his eyes darted away from the conversation distractedly. He seemed to have found enough money in his pockets.

"Well… got to go. Seeya Ryou," he said hastily and without a second glance at Bakura, he left, charging across the entire field to get to the soda machines.

Ryou continued his way around the game field, Bakura angrily stalking his footsteps.

"What was _that_?" Bakura demanded bitterly.

"What was what?" Ryou asked, looking curiously ignorant in a way that only he could.

"You _talk_ to Malik," Bakura said sharply.

"Yeah," Ryou said, without the slightest hint of guilt.

"Since _when_?" Bakura cried, stomping the grass as his walked.

Ryou looked confused. "We've always talked."

"But I hate him now," Bakura reminded Ryou fiercely.

"I know."

"And you're still talking to him, why?"

"He's never done anything to me," Ryou answered simply.

Bakura scowled and gave no retort.

"I'm helping him with his math," Ryou explained with reason.

"Good for you," Bakura grumbled nastily.

Ryou glanced at his friend sideways. "He's really upset, you know," he mentioned.

Bakura scoffed. "Doesn't look like it to me."

"He's just hiding it," said Ryou.

Bakura scoffed but said nothing.

They had made their way across the field to the school building in silence. Bakura's anger toward Malik and frustration about Ryou festered inside of him like a fucking sickness as the two of them entered the school building to get their school stuff.

"How are you getting home?" Ryou asked, taking notebooks out of his locker.

"Bus," Bakura grunted. "Atemu's picking you up?"

Ryou nodded. "Yep. You want to…" Ryou paused, struggling to pull a heavy textbook that had gotten caught at a bad angle out of his locker. Bakura rolled his eyes and tugged it out easily for him. "Thanks," Ryou muttered. Bakura looked away down the hall rather then accept his appreciation. "You want to come over?" Ryou asked finally.

Bakura actually felt himself considered it. And he wanted to. Shit. More time with Ryou didn't sound too bad. The last time he had been at Ryou's house he had gotten trapped in Ryou's bedroom, with Ryou lying on the bed… Bakura could still remember the rush of his blood…

Luckily the angel recalled his senses in time. "I don't think Atemu would like it." And he still hated the fact that Atemu was living with Ryou. That guy was such a prick.

Ryou shrugged. "I suppose you're right."

They walked back into the freezing outside and stood by the curb, waiting for their individual rides.

They were alone again.

Predictably, Bakura's blood pumping organ started thundering again.

It had been happening so often nowadays that Bakura should have been used to it. But he wasn't. And it didn't just happen around Ryou either. It happened when Bakura was attempting to put his human body to sleep, when Bakura had no distractions, then his mind would drift and continuously land on Ryou, which would turn into that night in the park…

It had been an experiment! It had meant nothing at the time! But now… now that Bakura could remember it, the moment was… different. More. Now when his mind would accidentally recalled that moment, which was surprisingly often, that sick feeling, those heart spasms would begin again. _Every_ time. The memory was now so overplayed in his conscience that all Bakura had to do was look at the back of Ryou's head and the moment would pounce upon him.

It was all those human chemicals, Bakura knew. That strange surge of adrenaline.

He didn't have time for this humanity crap. He needed to concentrate on demons. Demons. That was the key. No time for human… human… _things_…

"Here comes the bus," Ryou observed. Bakura saw a large public transportation vehicle speed toward them. "You should stand at the bus sign or it won't stop for you," Ryou advised. Bakura made the mistake of glancing down at his pale human companion.

Did those large dark brown eyes seem less empty and imposing than usual? They might have been almost… mortal.

The bus came and went, hitting the two of them with a gust of icy air. Bakura hadn't moved.

"Short buses always have too many people on them," Bakura explained, turning his head away again.

"Oh," Ryou accepted.

Bakura gulped. He could wait with Ryou until his ride came, right? That's all it was. He could at least allow his body the pleasure of watching Ryou a little longer.

* * *

...)(-)Infatuation(-)(...

* * *

Poor Bakura. So confused. So ignorant. mwahahaha. human chemicals, you mean your chemicals! 

Speaking of Atemu, he is such a little mother. Seriously. I should have given him an apron, a yellow one with white ruffles and fringes and a bow in the back... Yugi: (gets a nose bleed) (seriously though, whats so funny about nose bleeds? Seriously? In a romantic scene who wants a freaking nosebleed to ruin that? I SAY LAME!)

NEXT CHAPTER!!

So there's this thing called the "Holiday Dance." Doesn't that make you squee a bit, huh? Let's just say... next chapter is going to be called: "Invatation" Hahahaha! And cute, but mostly laughter. Beware... for cuteness, basically.

REVIEW!!!

Didn't I tell you about those innuendos? Swallow, bitch. Seriously, Atemu, isn't Yugi enough for you? The little pimp. No, not really though. Atemu is such a freaken prude.

REVIEW!!


	11. Invitation

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I'm like TOTALLY on time! YAYA!!!

This is so middle school. Actually, it's _so_ high school. I don't know about you, but I still thought boys had chooties in middle school and that dances were icky.

Teehee, this chapter makes me giggle.

YUGI AND ATEMU RETURN!! WOOT!!

**

* * *

Chyaputa 11: Invitation**

1. The act of inviting.

2. A spoken or written request for someone's presence or participation.

3. An allurement, enticement, or attraction.

* * *

"Hey," an extremely familiar voice greeted from below. Yugi looked down and, as he had expected, saw Atemu standing there.

"Hey! Haven't seen you in a while," Yugi joked, because of course they had just seen each other at lunch.

Atemu shrugged modestly. "I've been around," he said playing along. "You know, in the chemistry classroom."

Yugi grinned.

"Oi Yugi! Could your conversation wait till later?" Honda cried across the hall. Both he and Yugi were standing precariously on top of ladders trying to put up a banner across the center school hallway. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm kinda five feet off the ground," Honda reminded him uneasily.

"Right, sorry," Yugi answered, ashamed.

Atemu chuckled, his rich voice carrying up to Yugi's ears.

"It's still not straight. Put your end up a little bit more, Honda," a brunette girl on the floor called. Honda groaned and then shifted his end of the banner. "Good. That's perfect!" Yugi secured his end with thumbtacks and loads of tape, as Honda repeated the same process on the other side of the hallway.

Yugi was constantly aware of Atemu watching him as he waited calmly on the floor. Finally Yugi turned around and started making his way down the ladder.

"So how'd your test go?" Yugi asked curiously.

"Kinda sucked actually," Atemu explained with a casual shrug. "I didn't expect there to be so many conversion questions."

"I'm sure you did great, you always get good grades," Yugi pointed out positively. Atemu shrugged modestly.

Then Yugi's foot slipped on a ladder rung. Immediately he felt a set of arms catching him as Atemu jumped forward.

"You alright?" Atemu asked concerned, mouth somewhere close to Yugi's ear. His arms supported Yugi's small back as Yugi steadied himself back on the floor again.

"Yeah, just my usual clumsiness," Yugi said, giving him a smile.

Atemu grinned back.

"So…" Atemu pulled his arms away, and Yugi felt cold. "There's a dance, huh?"

"How'd you know?" Yugi asked curiously.

"Just had a hunch," Atemu commented, pointing up at the blatantly obvious silver banner Yugi and Honda had just hung across the hallway that said, "Coming Soon, THE HOLIDAY DANCE!" in large cheery letters. "What is this thing anyway?" Atemu questioned.

"You mean you _don't_ know?" the brunette girl behind them cried astonished, jumping into their conversation.

"Ah, know what?" Atemu asked, unnerved by this girl's sudden appearance.

"Atemu-kun this is Anzu-chan," Yugi introduced. "She asked for my and Honda-kun's help with the Dance Committee. Be nice to Atemu-kun, Anzu-chan."

"Oh, Yugi, you know I'll be nice," Anzu teased, scooting closer to Atemu. Yugi couldn't help but notice how her large blue eyes examined Atemu rather fascinatingly.

"Why are you helping the Dance Committee?" Atemu asked Yugi, blissfully ignorant of Anzu's advances.

Yugi bit his lip. "Well, I had some free time."

"Ah," Atemu said. "And Honda got dragged into this because…"

"He can't resist when a girl asks him to do something," Yugi finished with a smile.

"That's not true!" Honda interjected rushing over. "I like helping people out!" Yugi and Atemu exchanged amused looks.

"And we'll need all the help we can get because it's only two short weeks away!" Anzu interrupted again obviously. "You should help too!" Anzu pointed out, stepping closer to Atemu again.

"Who? Me?" Atemu asked, confused.

Anzu laughed as though he had just told the funniest joke in the world.

Yugi smile dropped. Did she know how obvious she was?

"Yes _you_, silly. Come on, it will be fun!" Anzu pleaded, touching him lightly on the arm.

Yugi's stomach rolled.

"The Holiday Dance is the _biggest_ event of the year! We'll need lots of volunteers," the girl continued.

"Well… I would but, ah, I got this, ah…" Atemu stumbled, searching desperately for a reason.

"Job," Yugi added quickly. "He's got a job at my grandpa's store." Atemu gave Yugi a very relieved and thankful look. Yugi couldn't help but glow with pride.

"Oh, that sounds nice," Anzu commented, her smile wavering for a moment and then coming back in an instant. "But you'll be coming to the dance, won't you?" she asked excitedly.

"Maybe…" Atemu answered uncertainly, rather unimpressed by the idea. "I haven't really thought about it…"

"But you _have_ to!" Anzu exclaimed importantly. "Oh, it's going to have a _theme_ and the gym is going to be _decorated_ in these really neat decorations, everything is going to be white, black and blue! And there's going to be all this food and everyone is going to be there and there will be raffles! And we're going be voting for Holiday King and Queen!"

"Wow," Atemu commented, trying painfully to look interested. "That sounds nice…"

Yugi grinned, putting a hand over his mouth as he tried to suppress his laughter. There was no way Atemu could be into a girl like her.

"Oh, and a date! Everyone should find a date!" Anzu added.

Yugi's heart jumped in his chest. Before he could stop himself, Yugi was already looking at Atemu and to his absolute shock he found Atemu turning to him as well. The second their stares collided they both looked away simultaneously. It was as if the breath had been knocked out of Yugi's lungs. He hoped Anzu and Honda hadn't noticed.

"Although you should come even if you don't have anyone. You can still have fun," Anzu chattered to Atemu, although he seemed to have tuned her out long ago.

"Sounds wonderful, Anzu-chan!" Honda praised. "Speaking of dates, Anzu-chan, I was wondering…"

"So, do _you_ have a date yet?" Anzu asked, turning directly to Atemu.

Both Atemu and Yugi were shocked.

"Ah… seeing as I just heard about this five minutes ago, no, not really," Atemu admitted.

Anzu's eyes lit up hopefully. "So," she stepped a little closer to him. "Would your handsome self like to escort me?"

Atemu looked extremely uncomfortable and Yugi couldn't blame him. "Ah… That's a very kind offer but, ah… I hardly know you," Atemu admitted backing up, but the girl wasn't about to admit defeat just yet.

"But that's the point. We can get to know each other," Anzu suggested enthusiastically, slipping her delicate hand into his.

Yugi's skin crawled. Anzu really wasn't a bad person, he was sure she meant well but… Good Heaven, did she have _any_ tact?

"Look, I'm sure you're a real nice person but my answer is still no," said Atemu firmly, pulling his hand away and taking another step back. "Sorry."

Anzu's bottom lip quivered for a second but she managed to pull herself together. "That's alright, no hard feelings. I'm sure someone as gorgeous as yourself already has a girlfriend anyway," Anzu said with a careless flip of her shoulder-length, brown hair.

Yugi's ears grew hot and he forced himself to stare fixedly at the floor rather then meet Atemu's glance.

"But you will be coming, right?" Anzu asked Atemu again.

"I don't know," Atemu admitted mildly. "I guess I'll see…" Yugi fiddled with his collar. Since when had it become so hot in the hallway?

"Well, if you do make it there," Anzu mentioned, giving Atemu a meaningful lusty stare that left no doubt about her intentions, "Save me a dance, ok?" She winked at him and then walked away. Honda stumbled after her, carrying a box of decorations towards the gym.

Yugi breathed a sigh, relieved. Atemu must have heard him because he chuckled and Yugi blushed even more furiously.

"Don't mind her," Yugi said picking up his school bag. "She's harmless."

"Seems like I should be saying that to you," Atemu commented.

Yugi coughed to cover up his nerves.

"So… a dance, huh?" Atemu continued thoughtfully as he and Yugi turned toward their next class. "Sounds dull."

Yugi shrugged. "I guess it kinda is."

"Good thing I won't be there then," said Atemu thankfully. Yugi's stomach squirmed. Atemu caught sight of the pang of disappointment on Yugi's face and immediately went into concerned mode. "You're not thinking of going, are you?"

"Um… actually people on the Dance Committee are required to go, you know, boost school participation…" Yugi explained vaguely, staring at the floor. "I mean, who's going to go to a dance the Dance Committee won't go to, right?"

"Ah, yeah. That makes sense…" Atemu muttered.

Yugi bit his lip again and neither of them spoke. Yugi's stomach was shoving its way forcefully up his throat. He felt nauseous.

"Look, ah," Atemu began but Yugi already knew what was about to tumble out of his mouth. "I could go to the, ah, dance and keep you company…"

"Oh no, you don't have to," Yugi said automatically, mouth forming words without knowledge of his brain.

"I've got nothing else to do-" Atemu pointed out.

"But I wouldn't want to make you-" said Yugi.

"-you're not-" Atemu interrupted.

"-it's going to be dull, you said so-"

"But I wouldn't leave you there all alone-" Atemu argued.

"-you don't have to feel obliged-" said Yugi shamefully.

"I want to!" Atemu insisted a little too loudly.

Something tightened in Yugi's small chest, making it very hard for him to breathe.

Atemu was looking like he could use a little oxygen himself. "I…want to go with you." Time stretched, pulled around his words. The masses of students around them were in a reality that the two of them could no longer contact. Finally Yugi closed his mouth, then, realizing that he had to say something, opened it again. Atemu was waiting patiently for his answer, red eyes shining with an antsy light.

"Well…" Yugi choked. "I suppose that if I have to go and you show up, I can't really stop myself from seeing you…" he gulped.

Atemu, who must have been holding his breath the entire time, finally released it. His handsome tanned face relaxed. "I suppose… that if I met you there, that would be just perfect," Atemu admitted. Yugi's face flared up in embarrassment.

"Perfect?" Yugi repeated nervously. "Even if the dance is dull?"

Atemu shrugged. "Who knows, maybe something exciting will happen there…"

Yugi stopped breathing again. "Exciting? Like… what?"

"Hm…" Atemu tapped his finger on the side of his head playfully. "I'll have to think of something…"

Yugi's face was radiating. "All right… but, just so you know, I can't dance," he admitted. Yugi turned sideways, walking to his next class. Atemu joined in beside him and took a hold of his small sweaty hand. Yugi's heart jumped again.

"That's what you have me for," Atemu reassured, as they walked.

Yugi smiled as and the two of them strode down the hall, hand in hand.

…)(-)-(Invitation)-(-)(…

"So, Malik, where do you want to have lunch today?" Chushin asked, adjusting his thick glasses. Malik was leaning up against his locker, hands stuffed into his pants' pockets. His bright violet eyes were closed as though he couldn't hear his two comrades.

"We could go outside, or there are usually a lot of the guys are in Midori-sensei's room. She asked for help cleaning up the science equipment," Gura suggested, pulling out his bag lunch of organic meat replacement and bean sprouts sandwich.

By 'the guys' he meant, of course, the rest of _their_ crowd.

Malik sighed, tiredly. 'Of all the groups I could have picked to hang out with,' he thought to himself for the thousandth time, 'I had to choose the geeks.' The group mostly stuck to themselves, like a cult. But they were nice. Malik had no idea what they were talking about a lot of the time, usually something uninteresting like science or computers, but they weren't bad.

'No, they're not bad… exactly. But they're no replacement.' Malik's insides groaned as his back shrunk against the locker. 'It's nothing close to before with _him_.'

Malik wanted to go back, back to before the fight. He missed Bakura. He missed obsessing secretly over the angry yet extremely attractive male. He missed watching his every magnificent move, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was under that tough exterior, even though now he knew that there was only more indifference.

Malik felt the cold gloom of depression settle over his eyes. He never thought he'd miss Bakura so much. Just seeing him at that baseball game last week had been absolute torture.

'God! What the hell am I thinking?' Malik scolded himself. 'How emo can I be?'

"What do you think, Malik?" Chushin prompted, the same admiration glowing in his face as all the other geeks. "Outside or inside?"

'Bakura's probably eating outside,' Malik recalled.

"Midori-sensei's classroom might be good," Malik said lazily, not moving from his spot on the lockers. His two acquaintances leapt at the opportunity to fulfill his request and were about to leave when another student, one Malik was much more pleased to see, emerged from a nearby classroom.

"Hi," Ryou greeted. By now he was familiar with the two geeks. Chushin and Gura waved and then moved over to the lockers, planning to wait for their friend.

"Hey." Malik pulled himself off the lockers. He had learned to like the pale teen, even if, Malik suspected, Ryou was his rival for Bakura's affection. "What's up? I don't have another math test for a while…"

"Oh, I'm not here about that," said Ryou. He glanced over his shoulder at the two geeks who were hovering close by, trying to over hear their conversation. "Could we, um, talk in private?" Ryou asked.

A nauseating sense of apprehension consumed Malik's gut.

"Hey, Chushin, Gura," Malik called over Ryou's shoulder. The two stood oddly like solders standing at attention. This was getting way too creepy. "You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up." The two looked severely disappointed but, like good minions, did as they were told.

Malik turned back to Ryou, fighting the excited jolt in his gut.

"Malik," Ryou stated officially, "This has to stop."

Malik knew exactly what Ryou was talking about but decided to play dumb. "Stop what?"

"You and Bakura and this stupid grudge," Ryou explained plainly. Malik's previously swallowed anger fought its way back up into his brain.

"I'll give it up when _he_ apologies," Malik grumbled stubbornly.

Ryou sighed. "Bakura's not going to apologize and you know it."

Malik frowned. "Well, what do you expect me to do about it? I don't treat my friends like trash. _I_ didn't shove anyone on the floor," Malik cried exasperatingly. "_I_ didn't do anything wrong!"

"You tried to kiss him," Ryou pointed out calmly.

Malik gaped at Ryou, blood rushing to his face. "You… you know about that?"

Jealousy roared. 'Did Bakura tell him? How could he tell Ryou about _that_? Bakura doesn't tell people anything!' Malik cried in his mind.

"Malik. I was there," Ryou explained. "Like five feet away."

"Oh." Malik closed his mouth.

"You really freaked him out," Ryou said softly. "Did you really expect Bakura to just let you kiss him?"

Malik gulped. He shouldn't have. Knowing Bakura's normally distant behavior, he should have predicted that kind of result. And yet he had thought at one time, several times, that Bakura maybe sorta liked him back. Maybe at the restaurant, he had thought things could really be that easy.

"I'm… not really good with words…" Malik muttered.

Ryou scratched his head, fingering one of his fluffy white locks of hair. "To tell you the truth, he's pretty miserable without you."

Malik's heart skipped a beat. Bakura? Miserable? Without him? No, that couldn't be true. "No, he's not," Malik gulped, "He's got you."

Ryou shook his head. "Believe me, he's been acting so weird lately," he admitted, looking surprisingly somber. "He's always sulking or getting angry."

"He _always_ gets angry," Malik pointed out bitterly.

"Not this often," said Ryou. "He seems really distracted. Like he's got something going on in his head." Malik was getting very dizzy, very quickly. He really hoped Ryou wasn't just making this up to make him feel better because it was working. Bakura was missing him? Could that mean… maybe Bakura really did…

'Don't jump to conclusions,' he told himself. 'It doesn't mean anything yet.'

"You're both miserable," said Ryou. "The only reason that I can see why this is still going on is because you're both too stubborn to say you're sorry."

Malik frowned. Ryou was right. Why was Ryou _always_ right?

At that exact second, the violet-eyed, white-haired object of his obsessions rounded the corner. Perfect timing.

'I wonder if Ryou planned this,' Malik thought skeptically, because Bakura looked just as surprised as he did. But for the moment, Malik didn't see any of the misery Ryou was talking about, only Bakura's familiar angry scowl.

"Oh… would you look at that." Ryou glanced down at his watch. "I need to go to my meeting with Kiroi-sensei. Bye." Ryou began making his way down the hall.

"_Ryou_," Malik groaned, trying to call him back but it was useless. Five seconds later Ryou was gone and it was just him and Bakura, face-to-face in an empty hallway.

Malik gulped. The last time he had talked to Bakura he had lost his temper and ended up screaming at him in the middle of a crowded hallway.

"Where are your… friends?" Bakura asked suddenly, voice low and rough as if he really didn't care.

"They're around," said Malik stiffly. He wanted to say, "They aren't my friends, but I wish you were" but thought that that would have been lame. Plus there was no way Malik was going to apologize first.

Bakura grunted but said nothing else. Malik's nervous hands were playing with a button on his uniform. He knew he should probably say something. After all, Bakura was trying.

"So. How is, ah, life?" Malik asked vaguely.

Bakura was scrutinizing Malik like he was guilty of something.

"What?" Malik asked, attempting to keep the hostility out of his tone.

Bakura was very blank as he asked. "Why did you try to initiate a courtship with me?"

Malik had _not_ been expecting this. So he panicked. "I, ah, I, ah, I guess I wanted…"

But Bakura was apparently impatient. "Why me?"

Malik was getting all hot again, and not in a comforting way. "You don't- I didn't _choose_. It just happened."

Bakura's brow rose, interested? "Just happened," he repeated, not looking at Malik.

It was like he was examining Malik in a test tube or something. "What? So? What does it matter?"

"And how did your body react?" Bakura questioned. This was starting to sound like an interrogation.

Malik didn't get what Bakura was trying to find out. "I don't know. Like jittery and stuff. Why do you want to know?"

But Bakura was relentless. "What about your heart?"

Malik took a step back. What was this? "It ached."

"Ached?" And now Bakura turned away. Was he displeased? Had that not been the answer he had wanted?

"Yeah, and, you know, went all fast and stuff. Blood rush, I suppose," Malik added helpfully.

Bakura reacted to that. He froze. And Malik actually saw him touch his chest, nervously. "And your hands?"

"All sweaty," Malik added. "Why are you asking?"

Bakura's complexion looked sick.

Then Malik seemed to get it. And he was almost proud of his discovery.

"Bakura…" Malik mused, a smirk creeping onto his mouth, "Are you actually crushing on someone?"

Bakura was thoughtful, wrapped in himself. "Perhaps."

Malik's mouth fell open. "_Seriously_?"

Bakura glared at him.

"Who is it!?" Malik cried, jumping a little in his shoes. He felt excited again and for the moment wasn't sure why.

At this, Bakura shut his mouth.

"You have to tell me!" Malik demanded.

"No, I don't," Bakura argued.

"Look," Malik stated, business-like. "You're getting hot, right?"

Bakura stared. Malik took that as a yes.

"You're having fantasies about him- ah, this person, right?"

Again, Bakura stared. Malik took that as another yes.

"And you want to touch this person, right?"

At this Bakura, actually, physically, flinched.

"Then you're in love!" Malik announced.

"Don't be thick," Bakura growled.

Malik rolled his eyes. "Fine, you got a crush. So who is it? Ryou, right?"

Bakura's mouth twisted as though he was trying to swallow something not meant to be swallowed. "I didn't say that."

"It _is_ Ryou!" Malik exclaimed.

Getting passed past the part about Bakura being gay, and Bakura actually having feelings, Malik didn't think it was too surprising. He had seen this coming after all. He had seen how differently Bakura had acted around Ryou.

"Don't look at me like that," Bakura ordered, hands stuffed moodily into his pockets. "It's not a big deal or anything…"

"Big deal?" Malik questioned. "Of course it's a _big deal_!"

Bakura looked bewildered. He probably didn't understand Malik's reaction. In truth, neither did Malik. He was shocked by how cool he was with this. The sickening confirmation that Malik had finally lost Bakura forever was, at least for the moment, buried underneath layers and layers of excitement. So perhaps he would never have the guy of his dreams but at least his guy would be happy. And that was enough.

"Wait," Malik grabbed Bakura's shoulder. "Ryou knows, doesn't he?"

Bakura scowled, squinting at Malik as though the answer should be obvious.

Malik's mouth dropped open again. "You haven't told him yet?!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air dramatically.

Bakura did not answer but continued to look rather annoyed, as the guy often did.

Malik slapped himself in the forehead. Of course Ryou didn't know! That was why Bakura had finally talked to Malik again! Bakura needed him! "You have to tell him!" Malik insisted excitedly.

At this, Malik swore, Bakura's normally cool and steady posture shrunk.

"I wasn't planning on it," Bakura muttered roughly, walking a little faster.

"But you've got to," Malik said, picking up the pace. "You two are so perfect for each other!"

Bakura's walk came to an unsteady jerky halt. "Perfect?" he repeated uneasily. His voice sounded like he had run out of air.

Malik grinned knowledgeably at his friend's uncharacteristic nervousness. Bakura was giving all the classic signs. Yep, he had definitely fallen for Ryou.

"You guys are great. You follow each other everywhere. You never argue," Malik said.

"That's because Ryou doesn't have opinions," Bakura stated thickly but Malik ignored him.

"And, I don't know, you both got this… synergy thing." Bakura lifted an eyebrow and gave Malik a look as though he were crazy. "No, no, I mean it. You two are like totally in sync, like connected. You always talk about such weird things and have weird conversations but it all seems so casual."

"Ah… right," Bakura grunted distractedly. Malik laughed, and nudged Bakura in the side again. He felt so giddy, a strange energy shooting through him like an illegal drug. Why? Why was he so happy? Because being apart from Bakura had been so awful?

No. Because now he knew Bakura still needed him.

"Oh!" The idea hit Malik so hard that he literally jumped into the air. "You should ask Ryou to the Holiday Dance," Malik exclaimed, gripped Bakura's arm again. "That would be _so_ romantic."

"I don't think so," Bakura said quickly, immediately dismissing the idea as though anything romantic was toxic.

"Bakura," said Malik sternly, grabbing his arm again in urgency. He stepped right in front of his friend and looked directly into those burning dark violet eyes. "You can't just keep your feelings all inside. Believe me, you'll go insane! This is the only way that you can ever be happy."

Bakura's expression contorted but again he remained silent.

Malik beamed at him. "So you're going to ask him, right?"

Bakura frowned half-heartedly, his stare resting on the floor tiles next to Malik's left foot. "I…" But Bakura stopped himself as a set of footsteps came around the corner.

Just the tragically pale guy Bakura wanted to see.

"Hey, Ryou-kun!" Malik greeted happily, waving unnecessarily. And to the Egyptian's immense delight, Bakura physically twitched. Ryou approached expectantly, stringing his thin fingers through his long white hair.

"You guys made up?" he asked curiously.

Malik grinned broadly, wrapping an arm around Bakura's shoulders. "Yep, we're all friendly again," Malik announced proudly.

Bakura grumbled something dark under his breath and pushed Malik out of his personal space. Just as it should be.

Ryou nodded mildly. "Good. Let's go to lunch then."

"Aw gee," said Malik suddenly. "I promised to help clean up Midori-sensei's classroom. Sorry, you two go on ahead."

Ryou looked simply confused while Bakura glared pure death at him over Ryou's shoulder.

"You sure?" Ryou asked. "We could come too."

"Sorry but a promise is a promise," Malik chanted sweetly. "Besides I wouldn't want to ruin your time together." He turned to Bakura and gave him a meaningful look. Bakura gave him a dirty, betrayed glower like Malik was abandoning him, which he was.

"Bye, bye!" Malik called over his shoulder as he disappeared, skipping down the hall.

…)(-)-(Invitation)-(-)(…

"Hey Jounouchi!" Otogi called to the blonde across the lunchroom. Jounouchi pretended he hadn't heard him. Couldn't the guy see that Jounouchi was busy sulking? If the pretty boy wanted to speak to him so badly he'd have to drag his sorry ass across the lunchroom. The blonde had hoped that by sitting by himself at a very small table in the far corner of the hall that it would be obvious that Jounouchi didn't want any company but his friends didn't seem to be getting it. It wasn't that Jounouchi didn't like his friends anymore, he just preferred to be alone nowadays.

"Jounouchi-kun!" Otogi cried again, his voice close to the blonde's ear this time.

Jounouchi swerved his head around to glare at the black-haired teenager. "_What_?"

"Woah! We come in peace!" Honda announced as he sat his tray down on the table, eyeing Jounouchi warily. Everyone had learned to be much more cautious around the blonde nowadays because his temper was likely to explode at any moment. The rest of the crew was arriving. Otogi had abandoned his usual trail of giggling girls to grace everyone with his presence. Yugi and Atemu came up behind them.

"Aren't you cheerful lately," Otogi commented dryly.

Jounouchi frowned but remained silent, knowing that if he did open his mouth he was bond to he say something he'd regret later.

"Man, why are we sitting all the way over _here_?" Honda moaned. He was mashing himself up against the wall to make room for Yugi and Atemu.

"I didn't tell you to sit here," Jounouchi spat rudely.

Honda gave him a look like Jounouchi was testing his patience. "Come on guys, I know Jounouchi's going through a _mood_ right now but can't we just move _one_ table over, please?"

Jounouchi's teeth clenched angrily, he hated it when people, especially his friends, pointed out his attitude. "I sat here so I wouldn't have to put up with _you_."

Honda shot out of his chair, upsetting Yugi's tray in the process. "Oh, give it up. We've dealt with you and your attitude long enough, Jounouchi! I mean, for Christ's sake whatever it is, get over it! We're your friends! Stop treating us like shit!"

Brain boiling, Jounouchi stood up. Fuck Honda! Fuck being under cover! Jounouchi was going make this shit-head-human into a freaking crater.

"Stop it!" Yugi cried. "Come on guys! Let's just eat," he pleaded.

"Yeah, you two are acting so childish," Otogi drawled.

Both hot-tempered teenagers turned furiously on him. "What did you say!?" Honda and Jounouchi cried. Otogi shrunk back, they both looked like they are going to disembowel him right there in the lunchroom.

"That's _enough_," Atemu commanded with such intensity behind his words that Jounouchi actually felt his knees buckle. "Sit down before you do something _reckless_." His blood red eyes locked on Jounouchi and the blonde knew that comment had been directed at him.

Honda fell back into his chair immediately but Jounouchi had to bite his own tongue to stop himself from lashing out at Atemu. He wanted to so badly. He wanted to scream that Atemu had no right to order him around especially when Jounouchi _out ranked_ him and Atemu was already breaking _at least_ three Balance Laws himself.

There was certainly nothing more reckless than fraternizing with a human on a mission. Yet there he was, trading googaly eyes with Yugi every second of the day. How _dare_ Atemu talk to him that way!

Somehow, Jounouchi got himself to sit down.

But of course it was easy for Atemu to be civil. Yugi was already his. Atemu had already gotten away with it. And what did Jounouchi have? Nothing, except memories that kept him up at night, that he hadn't even been conscious enough to enjoy.

Yes, Jounouchi was being a jerk, to his friends, to his fellow students, and to his teachers, Kiroi-sensei had sent him to the principle office five times last week. But he didn't care. He really couldn't find it in his tiny demonic heart to give a shit. He had even blown up at Ryou the day before because he had said he was going to go "hang out" with someone and no one blew up at Ryou. But since when did Ryou "hang out" with _humans_ any way?

"Yo, crazy," Otogi muttered, tapping Jounouchi on the shoulder to get his attention.

"_Yes_?" Jounouchi sneered, tone straining in the effort not to explode again.

"I said I have a proposition for you," Otogi repeated importantly.

Jounouchi frowned. "A what?"

"Look, I'm sorta failing photography…"

Honda snorted in disbelief. "How do you fail _photography_? It's like the easiest class."

"You'd be surprised," said Otogi. "Anyway, the teacher is going to fail me if I don't do this extra credit assignment…"

"What's the assignment?" Yugi asked, mouth full of rice.

"I've got to take pictures of the dance this Friday. It's for the school paper or something," Otogi explained.

"And… why can't you do it? You're going, right?" Jounouchi questioned.

Otogi rolled his eyes. "Of _course_, I'm going. I've got dates with like, five different girls."

Honda spat his drink all over the table. "F-_five_!?" he exclaimed, mouth dripping.

Jounouchi was unimpressed. "So? Why can't you take pictures while you're there?"

Otogi looked shocked. "Are you kidding me? No one wants to go to a dance with a guy with a huge lump of plastic around his neck. I can't walk around with that dorky camera all night. How am I supposed to dance or switch dates if I've got that lame equipment swinging everywhere?"

"You're right," Atemu commented sarcastically. "That would be just _disastrous_ for your wild social life." Yugi laughed.

"How did you get _five_ dates in the first place!" Honda cried completely distracted.

"So you want me to what? Go and take pictures for you?" Jounouchi asked doubtfully.

"I'll pay you," Otogi suggested hopefully.

"Who would agree to be one of five dates anyway?" Honda rambled, scratching his head.

"I'll even get someone to go with you if you want," Otogi hinted slyly. "How about it?"

"I thought you said nobody wanted to a dance with a guy with a camera," Jounouchi scoffed coldly.

Otogi shrugged. "I could find someone. Besides it's not like you're hideous and there are plenty of desperate girls out there to choose from."

Jounouchi shook his head. Not only did he not want to get mixed up with anymore humans, romantically or otherwise at the moment, but how would that look to Kaiba if Jounouchi showed up to the Holiday Dance with a girl on his arm?

'Bastard wouldn't even care,' Jounouchi realized lamely, gut sinking. 'Bastard wouldn't turn his head to look at me most likely. Wouldn't make any difference.' Of course, that was assuming Kaiba left his fancy company for a school dance, which there was no way in hell he would. The whole idea was ridiculous.

"Nah, don't bother. I don't need a girl and don't bother paying me either, I'll take your pictures for ya if you want," Jounouchi growled.

"Great!" Otogi cheered. He stood up and pulled out the camera out of his backpack right there. "Thanks, Jounouchi. You're a life saver." He dropped the heavy black object into the blonde's lap. Jounouchi's brown eyes widened. The camera was larger than he had expected. "Good luck," Otogi said and with a twist, got up from the table and started walking back over to his fan club.

Honda was right on his tail. "Yo Otogi! You know, _I_ could use someone!" the brunette cried, jumping up from the table in a rush to follow. "Come on, introduce me!"

"That was nice of you, Jounouchi," said Yugi.

Jounouchi shrugged. "It's not like I got anything else to do. Might as well do something useful." He squinted at the contraption for a few moments then gave up, planning to learn how to work it later, and stuffed it in his bag. "Now I guess the only ones who won't be going will be you two."

"Ah…" Atemu mumbled, looking away from the conversation.

"Actually," Yugi said slowly, staring down at the tabletop, "We were thinking of going…" Jounouchi's mouth hung open. He was speechless, frozen to the spot. Atemu wasn't seriously considering… he couldn't… certainly not in public…

"Just to, ah, see how it is," Atemu mentioned as though this was some rational excuse. "Can't really say you don't like something until you've actually seen it, right?"

Jounouchi gulped, forcing his mouth to close. "Right," he swallowed. He glanced at the two of them and noticed how they both had one arm tucked underneath the table. Jounouchi could imagine them holding hands out of his view or something sickening like that. He didn't think Atemu could be that… cuddly.

Either way the situation was too weird for Jounouchi's stomach to take.

"You know, Otogi forgot to give me the film. I'd better go get that… from him," Jounouchi said quickly, standing up.

"Ok." Yugi nodded and then turned his gaze back onto Atemu.

And Jounouchi got out of there as fast as he could.

…)(-)-(Invitation)-(-)(…

"Weird, huh?" Ryou mentioned mildly.

Bakura's head shot up, expression distracted. "What?"

"How Malik ran off like that. I didn't think he was the type of person who would help teachers in his free time." said Ryou staring up at the trees above the frosty sidewalk.

Bakura grunted an inaudible reply.

Ryou watched his friend out of the corner of his eye. "You sure you two made up?"

"Yeah," Bakura said shortly. His voice was tight and when Ryou turned to look at him to see what was wrong he found Bakura glaring angrily down at the ground.

Ryou was puzzled. He had thought that putting Bakura and Malik back together would make Bakura a little less… agitated, but he looked just as frustrated as he had that morning, maybe more so. As usual, Ryou had no idea what was going on in his friend's mind. If only Bakura would look at him…

"I wonder what Malik will say to his new friends. They've really grown attached to him, you know. Especially those two…" Ryou pondered. He glanced at Bakura and saw he wasn't paying attention. "Bakura-kun, are you alright?"

"Fine," Bakura muttered, not looking at him.

"Oh… ok," Ryou said uneasily. They fell into silence. No one was on the school grounds which was weird because there were usually lots students running around at lunch time. The cold weather must have driven them all inside.

Then Bakura suddenly stopped walking. "Ryou."

Ryou stood next to him. "Yes?" Bakura was glaring at the ground again, his face all screwed up as though he was concentrating on something very complicated.

"There's a… ah, dance- music- thing, ah, this Friday," he mumbled, kicking up dirt with his shoes. He was concentrating on Ryou's knees.

"Oh. There is?" Ryou asked uneasily. "That's, um…nice." He had no idea where this was going. Ryou didn't think that Bakura paid attention to school social events.

But Bakura nodded; the motion was jerky as though the joints in his neck had gone rusty. "Youshouldgo," he grumbled so fast that Ryou convinced himself he hadn't caught the words.

"Excuse me?" Ryou asked, thinking he must have misheard.

Bakura took a deep unsteady breath. "You should go… to the dance," he growled, voice louder and clearer this time.

Ryou was confused and surprised. "Why?"

Bakura scowled. "Because."

Ryou blinked waiting for his friend to finish but he didn't. Bakura just stood there like that had been enough of an answer to satisfy as a reply. He was acting very strange. Bakura wasn't usually _this_ cryptic.

"Because… why?" Ryou asked, normally he hated to press for an answer but Bakura was hiding something behind those brilliant dark eyes. If only he could see what Bakura was thinking…

Bakura's gaze dropped again to stare at a patch of dirt next to Ryou's left foot. "Ah… Malik wants you to come."

"Malik?" Ryou repeated. Malik had already told Ryou to come but Ryou had declined. Did Malik think that Ryou would say yes if Bakura asked him? Why? After all Bakura was just a friend. Just a human acquaintance. Nothing special. "Well, I wasn't thinking of going…" Ryou began.

"Yeah…" Bakura was being very careful not to look at any part of Ryou now. "Sure, whatever." Was Ryou imagining it or did Bakura sound suddenly very testy?

"Tell Malik I'm sorry," said Ryou.

Bakura didn't answer.

Ryou couldn't see his expression at all; his head was turned all the way to the side. Ryou was worried. What was Bakura thinking? He seemed upset, but Ryou couldn't fathom why.

Ryou turned, continuing to walk when Bakura grabbed Ryou's shoulder and swerved him back around. Ryou was shocked to find Bakura's eyes looking directly at him. The ground underneath his feet shifted and Ryou suddenly felt very small.

Bakura's eyes were scary.

Ryou knew why Bakura wanted him to go to the dance, even if Bakura didn't and that filled the demon with sudden terror. It was the thing that all human males thought about… something that was totally not-Higher-Being.

"Actually…" began Bakura thickly. "I was going to go… to the dance, you know." He was swallowing a lot, Ryou noticed.

"Oh." The air had become too thick to breathe. Bakura didn't go to dances… not unless… those dark eyes…

Bakura scowled. "I… I mean, it would be good if you- you and… it would be nice…" He stopped himself, jaw tight. Ryou wished he wouldn't ask. "Can you come?" he blurted out finally, dark violet eyes boring into Ryou's brain. "Please," he added frustratingly.

Ryou blinked. "Um… ok." Ok? Had he just said ok? When had he decided that? _Why_ had he said that? Either way, Bakura looked suddenly relieved and very shocked as though he too hadn't thought that Ryou was going to except.

"Really?" the human questioned skeptically. He still had a firm grip on Ryou's skinny shoulders.

'Really?' Ryou asked himself. Bakura's eyes were too clear. Too late now.

"Yes," said Ryou firmly and gave a smile to secure his answer.

Bakura frowned; a thought flashed so quickly across his mind that Ryou could not catch it before the human let go of Ryou's shoulders and took a step back.

Ryou's smile wavered. A painful human emotion rose next to his stomach. Why did Bakura always do that? Why did he care that Bakura always did that? Why was Ryou acting like…?

Bakura was just a human. Just a normal human who wanted to… who wanted to…

Ryou fought his fear. He could handle a human's advances… right?

* * *

…)(-)-(Invitation)-(-)(…

* * *

Awwwwww… so CUUUUTE!! YAY!!! Now Ryou's getting confused, mwahahaha. Go, go, Bakura!!

Yugi and Atemu are so adorable it gives me hope for humanity… or, you know, it makes me sick. Either really.

NEXT CHAPTER!: So they're all going to the dance! YAY!! What about Kaiba? Will he come too will Yugi persuade him to occupancy them? Will Jounouchi convince Atemu and Ryou to stay home! Suddenly everyone is reminded that there is a freaking WAR going on! Gosh, guys. So confused.

**REVIEW!!!**

Cuteness and confusion next chapter!!

**REVIEW!!**


	12. Justification

HAPPY CHRISTMAS! (I say that so you all think I'm from England… or that I'm a Harry Potter fan (one of these facts is true… I won't tell you which one))

Short chapter again, only because the next scene is kinda long and I didn't want people to go insane with really long chapters, or at least, for me to go insane with really long chapters… I make no sense.

Readers! Do not be alarmed! Jounouchi is using a _film_ camera in this chapter. _Film_. That's what the whole "dial" thing on the side is for, if you all can remember that far back in your childhoods. I know, I know, it's a little scary, but apparently demons can't handle digital cameras yet. It's not in their nature.

**

* * *

Chyaputa 12: Justification**

1. something (such as a fact or circumstance) that shows an action to be reasonable or necessary

2. a statement in explanation of some action or belief

3. the act of defending or explaining or making excuses for by reasoning

* * *

"You're both going to what?" Kaiba questioned harshly. His arms locked over his chest, his stare as critical and as menacing as mentally possible.

"It's just one night," said Yugi simply. He pulled out a long sleeve, button-down shirt from Kaiba's dresser drawer and held it up to Bakura. They had already secured a pair of Kaiba's black dress pants and unfortunately for Kaiba, Bakura was pretty much his size. Yugi thought for a moment and then shook his head, throwing the shirt on the floor somewhere behind him. "No, blue's not your color."

"I have a color?" Bakura growled as he leaned against Kaiba's bedroom wall moodily, letting Yugi do all the work of picking out his outfit.

Kaiba scowled. He was infuriated. When Yugi and Bakura appeared in his home office, without warning, Kaiba had naturally assumed the worst, but he had been very much mistaken.

"Teleportation is for emergencies, Yugi-sama. It should not be used lightly," Kaiba stated, tone strained as he voiced his disagreement. "Not for such frivolous, human _occasions_."

"Since when do you _criticize_ your superiors, Kaiba," Bakura taunted smugly.

Kaiba pointedly ignored his comment while Yugi pulled another pile of Kaiba's dressy shirts out of the drawer.

"Sorry Kaiba-kun, but this is sort of an emergency. Bakura's really got nothing to wear tonight and we knew you had to have nice stuff," Yugi explained, truthfully. "Of course if _someone_ had told me earlier that they were planning to go to the dance we could have gotten clothes the proper way."

Bakura muttered nonsense under his breath.

Kaiba's eye twitched again. "I thought my resources would be more valuable then providing garments for your human entertainment," he hissed curtly.

"Deal with it," Bakura sneered, smirking. He was thoroughly enjoying how Yugi completely overruled Kaiba's disapproval of the situation.

"Is there a reason, Yugi-sama, why you two are wasting your time at this petty, superficial event?" Kaiba questioned, forcing the sharp words out of his mouth.

"The Holiday Dance?" said Yugi, examining a black silk shirt by holding it up in front of Bakura and biting his lip. "Um… well, there's not really a reason related to the mission if that's what you mean," Yugi answered casually. "But we are allowed to have a little fun every once in a while."

Kaiba snorted indignantly. Fun? They were on a mission of the top most importance and secrecy, none of them should have time to "have a little fun". Kaiba couldn't but think Yugi, a High Hashmallim, was out of his mind. He and the fool, Bakura, were indulging in human _recreation_ while Kaiba was supposed to remain in this human establishment and inspect the information network? This was not what he had first envisioned when he had been granted this assignment.

"If it bothers you so much, pretend that we're going to improve our human social status, to obtain better… information," Bakura mocked coldly, eyes smoldering with amusement at Kaiba's animosity.

"You could come with us if you want," Yugi suggested as though this was a brilliant idea, which it most definitely was not.

"No thanks," Kaiba retorted rigidly. The memory of his previous encounter with an adolescent human party would not soon disappear. He would never willingly go into a situation like _that_ again, not unless it was absolutely necessary for the successful completion of the mission, and then only if he had undeniable proof that the mortal idiot, Jounouchi Katsuya, would not be attending.

The idiot would undoubtedly be at the event tonight, seducing another student. Kaiba was absolutely certain of this.

Yugi shrugged and said, "Alright," before turning back to Kaiba's dresser.

"Why can't I wear this one?" Bakura questioned, picking up the black silk shirt.

"Black's so dull and besides your pants are black," Yugi said. Bakura frowned and returned to his wall. "By the way, you never told me why you decided to go." Yugi eyed Bakura slyly, in a very uncharacteristic way.

Bakura looked cautiously away; he always did before he was about to lie. "Malik's forcing me," the Guardian grumbled shortly.

Yugi grinned. "Of course, he is."

"What about you?" Bakura growled in retaliation, glaring at Yugi's back as he busied himself with the clothes. "Why are _you_ going?"

"I'm helping the Dance Committee," Yugi responded. The remark was too even. Bakura, evidently, noticed this too.

"And you're just _accidentally_ going to run into someone there?" Bakura provoked, intimidating Yugi, a feat that was too easy with this High Hashmallim. "Someone with a bad attitude to match his bad hair."

"Atemu doesn't have a bad attitude, you do," Yugi answered.

"You admit it then," Bakura claimed savagely.

Kaiba scoffed from the doorway. How childish. It seemed like something the idiot would do.

"And I like Atemu's hair…" Yugi protested weakly, moving away from Bakura.

Kaiba was disgusted. How could the two of them be so lax? They were even starting to act like humans with all their primitive squabbling.

"While you're here, Yugi-sama," Kaiba mentioned loudly, breaking up the useless conversation. Bakura frowned at Kaiba for ruining his fun. "I would like to make a request."

Yugi turned to him. "Yes, Kaiba-kun?"

"Since we seem to suddenly have all this… free time," Kaiba commented dryly. "I would like to make a trip back to the State."

Yugi's face crinkled in confusion. Bakura, as usual with matters that were not about him, was utterly uninterested.

"Why?" Yugi asked curiously.

"We are required to make a report to the Council every three human months, are we not?"

"Yes, but we usually just send it in," said Yugi. "There is no need to deliver the report in person. Besides we need you here in case something happens." Kaiba managed, just barely, not to snort. Nothing important would happen, not even if Yugi and the fool were off flaunting themselves.

"I will only be gone at the most five days," Kaiba said. "Besides there is some business that I would like to attend to while I am up there."

"What kind of business?" Bakura questioned suspiciously.

Kaiba gave him a cold glare in return. "_Personal_ business."

"I don't see why you should get 'personal business' time off when you haven't done a damn thing this whole mission," Bakura spat, hostility ringing in his voice.

"I don't see how my personal business is any different from you and Yugi-sama taking the night off to 'have fun,'" Kaiba drawled. "Besides its quite difficult to show results when you are ordered to simply sit, wait and observe."

"Perhaps Yugi felt you were the most qualified for the job," Bakura sneered.

"Hey," Yugi warned, stepping in between the two of them again. "Control yourselves." He turned to Kaiba. "I understand your point, Kaiba-kun. Don't take too long and come back as soon as you are able."

Kaiba bowed. "Thank you, Yugi-sama."

Yugi smiled. "No problem. Good luck with your business."

Kaiba nodded, turned, then promptly left.

…)(-)-(Justification)-(-)(…

"_Damn_ piece of shit," Jounouchi cursed, ready to smash the confounded camera to the ground and break it into thousands of bloody pieces. "I keep pressing this god-forsaken button thing but it's not taking a fucking picture."

"Did you wind it?" Ryou asked calmly, eyes focused on the math problems in front of him.

Jounouchi paused and flipped the large black camera over again. "Wind what?"

Ryou twisted around in his chair. "The little dial on the side. You have to wind it after every picture."

"Ah," Jounouchi grunted and tried to wind the little wheel on the back but it wouldn't move. "Fucking useless human shit…" he snarled.

At that moment Atemu entered the living room, nimble hands buttoning up his dress shirt. Jounouchi frowned. That's right, Atemu was getting ready for his big date with Yugi tonight at the dance. Jounouchi had almost forgotten.

"Your lens cap in still on, you know," Atemu commented mildly.

Jounouchi ripped the plastic cap off the camera face, grumbling darkly to himself.

"And be thankful," Atemu pointed out as he disappeared into his bedroom, "Last time I was stationed in the Human World, we had to wind the film with a crank and use gunpowder for the flash."

"Yeah, yeah," Jounouchi dismissed, tuning him out. "Hey, Ryou," he called as he walked up to the white-haired demon that sat at his desk doing homework. "Can you do me a favor?"

Ryou looked up. "Um, maybe. What is it?"

"Can you take the scout shift tonight? Atemu asked me to do it but something came up," Jounouchi explained.

Ryou's big brown eyes blinked, as though he hadn't just noticed Atemu walk through the room in his fancy clothes. "What's Atemu doing?"

"Ah…" the blonde hesitated. Atemu had told Jounouchi not to tell Ryou about Yugi. "Yeah, he said he was going out… I'm… not sure where… but he's, uh, not going to be here."

"Oh." Ryou's expression, oddly, twitched, as though he was suddenly truly disappointed, though Jounouchi couldn't fathom why.

"So can you do it?" Jounouchi asked again.

"I would, but I promised someone I would go to the school dance," Ryou admitted apologetically.

Jounouchi's mouth dropped open for the second time that day. "You're _what_?" Ryou was going to the dance? And with someone? A _human_? What the hell was going on? First Atemu, now Ryou, one by one all his fellow demons were handing themselves over to the human world! Was he next? Was everyone on this mission completely _insane_?

"Who's what?" Atemu asked, poking his head out of his bedroom. He was adjusting the tie around the neck of his fancy shirt.

"Ryou's got a _date_!" Jounouchi announced viciously.

Atemu frowned "A date?" he repeated in a trying-very-hard-to-be-casual-voice.

"It's not really a date…" Ryou interjected softly.

"Who's it with?" Atemu questioned, closing in on Ryou.

"Bakura," Ryou answered, turning back to his homework.

Jounouchi swore he saw Atemu's eyes flash at the sound of that name. It didn't mean anything to him though, he had never heard of this "Bakura" person before.

"I thought you were going to stay away from him," Atemu said slowly, voice low.

Ryou looked politely confused. "When did I say that?"

"I told you what I thought of him."

"Yes, I know you did."

Atemu frowned. "Ryou, you promised."

Ryou turned around to face him, expression blank. "Yes, I said I would be careful. I never said that I wouldn't hang out with him."

"Why shouldn't Ryou hang out with him?" Jounouchi questioned, butting in.

"Because Atemu doesn't like him," Ryou pointed out in a voice that was almost, at least for Ryou, cold.

"No, because I have this really strong, _bad_ feeling about him. He's trouble and he's not someone you should be hanging out with, let alone be _dating_."

Ryou stood up and walked over to his bedroom door. "Atemu-kun, I respect your opinion but really it's my choice. I can take care of myself."

Jounouchi nodded silently in agreement. The guy was like the most powerful demon, after all.

"And it's not a date," Ryou added, as he opened the door to his room. "Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't want to compensate your evening with Yugi, would you?" and then he disappeared into his bedroom.

"Ouch," Jounouchi moaned and turned to Atemu. The blood-eyed demon was glaring at the blonde distrustfully. "What? _I_ didn't tell him!" Jounouchi cried defensively.

Atemu sighed, letting out a frustrated breath. "At least I don't have to worry about telling him now."

"Yeah, that's good!" Jounouchi laughed positively, patting Atemu roughly on the back. "So, are you actually going out with Yugi this time or is this still in the 'not yet' stage?"

Atemu glared at the blonde again, his mouth tense. "That's not really your business, is it?" he answered coolly, pushing Jounouchi away and moving across the room to get his jacket.

"It is if you bring him into our lives," Jounouchi said, following his friend.

"I have no intention of 'bringing' him anywhere," Atemu stated calmly.

"Then why are you going out with him?"

Atemu turned, staring Jounouchi down. His age and wisdom made Jounouchi feel as stupid as a human child. "Jounouchi-kun, this is nothing. You shouldn't worry about it. Believe me, I know what I'm doing."

Ryou came out of his bedroom at that moment, all dressed and buttoned up like Atemu, brushing his long white hair.

"That's all well and good, Atemu, but we have other, bigger problems. In case you both forgot we're still on a _mission_," Jounouchi accused, spinning from Atemu to Ryou. "Like tonight for example, who's going to stay home and scout?"

Atemu and Ryou's stares drifted off as though trying to make themselves look inconspicuous.

"What about you, Jounouchi-kun? What are you doing tonight?" Ryou asked curiously.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes tiredly. "I'm going to the dance. Otogi asked me to."

"So you got a date too?" said Ryou.

Jounouchi was so shocked by Ryou's comment that he choked. "W-what? _No_! He asked me to do a favor for him that _involves_ being there."

"He's taking pictures for the school paper," Atemu added.

"Yeah. That!" Jounouchi proclaimed. "The point_ is_ we can't just skip scouting."

"Why not?" Ryou asked, tugging at a knot in his fluffy hair.

"It's only for a couple of hours," Atemu added. "Statistically, there's a very small chance that we'll miss anything monumental."

Jounouchi couldn't believe what he was hearing. This didn't sound like Atemu at all. Hadn't he been the one who had jumped on Jounouchi for being so careless at that horrible, horrible incident at the party a month ago? Why were Ryou and his attitudes so different now? Did this mean that they were no longer taking this mission seriously?

"I don't believe you two!" Jounouchi snapped, hot anger washing through him. "If we give up tonight how many more nights are we going to just take off in the future when we get lazy?! Next month it'll be, 'Oh, _statistically_, we can still catch the angels and their hidden power source if we take Fridays off! _Sure_, let's go _frolic_ with our human lovers!'"

"That's not going to happen," Atemu drawled sternly, stare flat and less than dazzled with Jounouchi's impression of him.

"Fucking hell. Don't you guys remember we're in a _war_? We're fucking soldiers! One night could be the difference between success and failure. One night could decide the end of the Higher Being War! And you two are off running around courting humans! You're putting our whole existence in jeopardy!"

"It's not like that…" Ryou protested limply, mighty white head bowed. "We're not going to violate the Balance Laws or anything…"

"But you already are! You both are!" Jounouchi cried. "Can't you guys see that?"

There was an awkward pause. Jounouchi's head hurt. And did know why he felt so angry all the sudden… it felt misplaced.

"Jounouchi," said Atemu again, taking a deep breath. "Believe me when I tell you that I know what you are saying. But don't you think _I_ know what I'm doing? I know this is wrong, I've seen it."

Jounouchi's hands dropped. That's right. Sometimes he forgot how old Atemu really was. The guy had lived through the Ancient Wars, seen things Jounouchi could only imagine.

"I know," Atemu continued, "Don't you think I go over it in my mind every second of the day? Don't you think I try to talk myself out of it?"

Ryou was still facing the corner of the room, not speaking, not, that Jounouchi could see, reacting to their conversation.

Atemu shrugged. "I'm sorry," he admitted, surrendering. "I'm a hypocrite. I'm going to that dance. Sorry, if you're disappointed in me, Jounouchi." And then he walked to the front door and held it open, letting the cool air of the unheated apartment building hallway into their living room. It sent a shiver down Jounouchi back. "Anyone else who'd like to come with me is welcome."

There was silence for a moment then Ryou slowly put down his hairbrush and moved toward the door.

Jounouchi sighed. There really was nothing left to think about. Except for the possibility that Kaiba might or might not be there. And if he was… oh God, if Kaiba was there what was he going to do?

"If something happens, I'm blaming you, Atemu." the blonde grumbled, snatching his coat from the closet and throwing it on.

"If you must," Atemu responded simply, holding the door for him.

…)(-)-(Justification)-(-)(…

The noise Ryou could deal with; he had heard worst things in his existence. It was the flashing lights that drove him insane. The huge overhead gym lights were off, replaced by a series of spinning, flashing, seizer lights to light the dance floor. Jounouchi, Malik, Atemu and Yugi had disappeared a while ago. Ryou wondered for a second why Bakura had stayed with him. The two of them were sitting down at a table in a dark corner, away from the dancing, the occasional ray of light bouncing off of them. Ryou's heels rested on the edge of his chair, skinny legs bent and knees pressed against his chest. Bakura sat rigid in his chair, back straight and hands in fists. Ryou wondered if his friend was even alive anymore.

'Why am I here?' Ryou thought suddenly.

As much as he tried to repress them, Jounouchi's words kept echoing back to him, as though a hand was slapping him over and over again across the face. But he wasn't breaking the Balance Laws. This wasn't a date. He wasn't doing anything wrong. Yes, he had accepted Bakura's invitation to the dance but the bronze-skinned human had never actually said it was a date.

But he thought it was. In his mind he wanted…

Ryou shivered.

"This is nice, isn't it?" Ryou commented conversationally.

Bakura glanced questioningly at him.

Even from this far away, the monstrous music still drowned out all other sound.

Ryou curled his finger, beckoning Bakura nearer. The other cocked his head towards Ryou's mouth. "I said, this is nice," Ryou pointed out to the dance floor where students went crazy, swinging their hips and arms around with their fellows.

Bakura squinted at Ryou as though he was going slightly senile. "Are you mental?" he accused. A flash from one of the dance lights hit Bakura, enveloping the human in a green glow. "It's _disgusting_."

Ryou shrugged. "Dancing looks fun." Maybe he was going senile. He leaned his head against Bakura's shoulder. No real reason why, he hadn't even noticed that he had done the action until he felt Bakura's muscles freeze up under his skull.

'This is nice,' Ryou thought. Had he ever leaned against someone like this before?

The mob of the dancers looked like some thriving, thrashing nightmarish beast, decorated by glowing bulbs of rainbow rays. And in the corner of his vision, Ryou noticed how closely Bakura was watching him with those dangerous eyes of his, the ones that were so tangled Ryou couldn't read their depths.

And Ryou's pale skin began to prickle. Because this wasn't a date. Because his head wasn't spinning. Because he was only leaning on Bakura's shoulder to keep the beating, blaring disco lights from making his eyeballs ache. He had no attachment to this human. Jounouchi was wrong.

"Ah… Did you _want_ to dance?" the guy who was not his date asked awkwardly.

Ryou could see the dread in Bakura's expression if he said yes. "Oh… No, not really."

"Good," Bakura grunted, with relief.

"Why are you such a pessimist?" Ryou wondered.

"Why do you always ask stupid questions?"

Ryou turned his head so that his chin was resting on Bakura's shoulder, facing him. "I want to know."

'Because you're so interesting,' Ryou thought, gazing fearlessly into his not-date's fierce stare. The only thing reflected in their depths was himself, his own wide human eyes.

Bakura turned his head away. Ryou was sad to lose sight of his dangerously complicated eyes. "Curiosity will kill you."

Ryou smiled. He wished he could see more, see what was inside Bakura, his true nature. "I can't help it."

Bakura turned back, face scowling harshly. "Don't do that," he snarled in a voice that made Ryou shiver.

The smile melted off Ryou's face. "Do what?"

The human squeezed Ryou's arm, until it hurt. And it did hurt. "Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?" Bakura growled poisonously in his ear.

Danger. Danger. Danger.

Yes. Ryou knew very well. "What?"

Unexpectedly Bakura turned angry. "_God_! You are so annoying!" And then he twisted sharply away in his seat, unceremoniously dislodging Ryou from his side.

Ryou wondered why it felt like Bakura had ripped opened a hole in Ryou's chest. When he looked down he saw nothing but his dressy white button-down shirt. But it still hurt…

Bakura was hiding his face, his head pointed down at the floor. A pulsing vein in his neck revealed his true frustration.

The metaphorical hole in Ryou's chest widened. He was scared, afraid that Bakura might get up and walk away, leaving Ryou at his table alone. He wanted nothing else in the entire cosmos than to see those dangerous, dangerous eyes again, to watch Bakura's true desires through his mind's eye.

Bakura's lips were moving but Ryou couldn't hear his words over the music.

Slowly so he wouldn't scare his not-date away, Ryou reached out and placed his hand on top of one of the human's powerful fists.

"What did you say?" Ryou asked kindly, pulling him closer so they could hear each other again.

Bakura rolled his eyes, irritably. "You have… bad eyes and an ugly smile."

Ryou was confused. That had been unexpected.

"I'm sorry?" he suggested uneasily.

Bakura's hand unraveled so Ryou could grip it better. "You shouldn't smile."

"Why?" Ryou asked, at risk of Bakura blowing up again.

"You just… don't _do_ it right, ok?" Bakura hissed, frustration ringing in his words. "You don't look happy. You've never looked happy…"

And that shocked Ryou, right to his demonic core. Because it was silly. Because Ryou _was_ happy. Of course he was. He was fortunate. He was lucky. How could Bakura presume to know…? How could he, a human, possibly understand… It was Ryou's turn to look away now. He had no idea what his own eyes were saying, but just in case he didn't want Bakura to see them.

The music changed. Instead of hard pounding rhythms it was softer, practically sweet. Students drifted into the center of the room in pairs, wrapping their arms around their partner and beginning to sway. The disco lights slowed to fit the mood.

One red spotlight hit Bakura. It reflected off his copper skin, turning it amber. The red bounced into his violet eyes bringing out their crimson.

Ryou stared.

He knew his eyes were wrong, that he was hallucinating but for a moment it looked like Bakura was covered in sweet, sweet delicious blood. It dripped off his finger tips, locks of hair and his beautiful frowning lips. Ryou could feel his mouth water and his stomach lurch forward. Hell, give him just a taste! Just one pretty, pretty taste…

Then it was over. Bakura was staring skeptically at him. Ryou must have had a very odd look on his face.

"You ok?" Bakura questioned suspiciously.

Ryou's stomach growled. "Fine," he squeaked.

Bakura didn't look convinced.

Ryou tried to smile, to drive all Bakura's worries away, but failed. He was holding onto Bakura's hand too tightly. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop the image of Bakura covered in gallons of sweet, sweet blood from surfacing in his mind.

'Stop it!' he told the urges, gripping Bakura's sweaty human hand tighter. 'Not now. Please, not him.'

"You look sick," Bakura commented.

Ryou shook himself. "I'll be fine." The demon tried to sound reassuring but without his smile that too failed miserably.

"Ah… do you want to go home?" Bakura suggested hesitantly.

Leave? Leave with Bakura? Yes, then they would be alone. And it would be so easy to drag the human into a dark alley and drain him… Ryou's stomach quivered thirstily.

"No, I want to stay."

Bakura shrugged, not making eye contact. "Fine."

One electric guitar intro later and the fast paced dance music was back. Students rushed into one single mob again. Ryou leaned back into his seat again. His not-date's shoulder was very close by, so tempting…

'Don't,' Ryou told himself but it was too late. His head was on Bakura's shoulder again, Bakura's hair brushed against the tender skin on his neck. And this time his not-date did not flinch. But all Ryou noticed at that moment was through his cheek, in that human body, he could felt the thump, thump, thump of so much beautiful, beautiful blood.

And there couldn't be a sudden unknown weight of another human head on his, because that would mean that Bakura was being halfway, rigidly affectionate…

Ryou's body heated pleasantly. Bakura was too delicious.

'This human skin may be attracted to you but I'm not,' Ryou told his not-date silently. 'I don't want you one bit, no matter how interesting you are.'

…)(-)-(Justification)-(-)(…

Dances were a waste of space. Whoever invented the idea of dragging students out of their homes on a weekend and cramming them all into one sexually active zone must have been on drugs.

It was bad enough that Jounouchi had agreed to waste his evening there for Otogi's sake, which wasn't his fucking problem in the first place, but his fellow students took him for granted as their own personal photographer. From the moment he stepped in the gym doors, he had been stopped by girl after fucking girl, all wanting him to take a picture of her and her date or other girl friends. It was getting fucking annoying.

And Atemu and Ryou _wanted_ to be _here_? Didn't they have any freaking dignity?

Jounouchi broke his hating the world campaign for a moment to check the camera, goddamn human contraption. He had taken twenty pictures. That was most of the film. Otogi should be happy with that and if he wasn't, well screw him; the pretty boy could take his own fucking pictures next time.

Getting up from his chair, Jounouchi headed for the exit. But even as he neared the doors, Jounouchi couldn't stop his eyes from glancing around the room four or five more times, searching for anything…a head of neatly combed brown hair…

Like the one five feet to the left of him.

Jounouchi's heart stopped, he didn't even notice that his feet had stumbled over each other. There, standing alone with strictly erect posture on the side of the dance floor was… oh fucking lord of darkness…

Jounouchi didn't think. He didn't even check his reasoning as his hand landed on this brunette guy's shoulder and forced the bastard to turn and face him…

"You ass-"

And a slightly confused and very pissed off looking senior, who Jounouchi could swear he had seen stuffing freshmen into trashcans, glared back at him.

"What'd you say, punk?" the definitely-_not_-Kaiba guy snarled.

"Um, picture?" Jounouchi offered, lifting up his camera.

The guy looked at him meanly for a few more seconds.

"What's up, baby?" A scarily stick-thin girl came out of the crowd and slung herself on the guy's arm. "Ooo! A camera! Oh take a picture of us, please!" she squealed and Jounouchi did so before hastily disappearing back into the crowd.

'Stupid!' he shouted angrily at himself, stomping off. 'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! How could I think that brute was _him_? King of _fucking_ Hell!'

Not that Jounouchi was surprised not to see that blue-eyed bastard here when the guy didn't even bother showing up to school most days. Why would he come? There was no reason why the bastard _should_ show up. He certainly didn't have great reputation for parties.

Fuming with self-loathing, Jounouchi was ten feet away from the door when he was rudely interrupted again.

"Are you Jounouchi Katsuya?" a girl asked.

Jounouchi had to admit she was very pretty, for human standards. "Sorry, all out of film. No more pictures," Jounouchi lied and made to walk around her but the girl stepped in front of him again.

"Oh no, I didn't want that. I was just wondering if you would like to dance?"

Jounouchi had to shake himself before answering. "What?"

The girl looked hurt. "I was just wondering…"

Jounouchi closed his mouth before anything stupid or insulting could come out of it again. Then he understood. A random pretty girl asking him to dance? This sounded familiar.

"Did Otogi send you?" Jounouchi questioned.

"Oh, uh well…" the girl was suddenly fidgeting. "He told me your name…"

This was too much. Fucking hell, couldn't these fucking humans just leave him _alone_? Was that too much to ask?

On the other hand… why not? A burst of righteous fury cascaded through his system. This girl was pretty and she seemed nice. Why _shouldn't_ he dance with her? Why not join Atemu and Ryou? He too could forget all about the mission and live forever in the human world for eternity. Seemed like a good enough plan, so why not?

Then a haunting image of an all too familiar face surfaced in his mind, looming above him, silky brunette hair brushing against his forehead. A pair of slightly delirious blue eyes falling into him.

Why not?

Jounouchi could picture it. He could see him and this girl dancing the night away, all up close and friendly, and then who should enter the scene at that exact moment? Who else? The fucking king of bastardness himself. He would see Jounouchi dancing with that girl, having a hell of a time. Kaiba would be pissed and serve the bastard right. Let him squirm and think of Jounouchi for a change! Let him go home in a blind furious rage and fall asleep with that image in his head of Jounouchi having a fucking good time without him! Why _fucking_ NOT?

"Sorry," Jounouchi grumbled. "Thanks for the offer, really, and I'm sure you're very nice but I'm not feeling too well. I'm just going to go home."

The girl nodded in understanding without understanding a damn thing. She did not look disappointed, after all what did she care about him?

Absolutely nothing at all.

Jounouchi walked passed her and out into the night. After all, if Kaiba wasn't going to show up, why bother staying?

* * *

…)(-)-(Justification)-(-)(…

* * *

So cute no? You haven't even sniffed cute yet! Although that RyouxBakura seen was pretty awesome, if I can say so about my own work. (weirdos… _insanity_) But wait for Yugi and Atemu. (teehee…)

Hope you all have a fantastic holiday. I do wish I could have written something special for the holidays though… I did last year, the whole "If You Were Gay" fic. Not bad, people seemed to like it anyway. I had never done a pure one-shot humor fic before so I suppose my experiment was a success? I think so. I tried to write something funny again… but it wasn't actually funny… isn't that sad?

TOO MUCH TALKING!! I'm sure you have better things to do.

NEXT CHAPTER!!: Yugi and Atemu are having a moment when you should wander in? Who ruins everything? Here's a clue: (shivers) Atemu has to think quick… as it were… Kaiba, what are you doing up there!?! Crazy boy. Ryou gets a little crazy too, and not in a good way.

**REVIEW!!**

Please do.

**REVIEW!!**

Get it? Rhyming? Good.


	13. Temptation

This time totally NOT MY FAULT!! I meant to update last week but my internet was all, WOAH BUDDY! SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW DOOOOOOOOOOWN! And it was fucking pissing me off and I had to distance myself from my computer, for its own safety. (pets computer now lovingly)

Nicholas Cage should not be an action hero. Seriously. Not that that has anything to do with why we all have gathered here today.

I have a cat on my lap. IN OTHER NEWS: silver decorative curtains are fantastic make-out locations. As are tables dripping with coffee…

**

* * *

Chyaputa 13: Temptation**

1. something that seduces or has the quality to seduce

2. the desire to have or do something that you know you should avoid

3. the act of influencing by exciting hope or desire

* * *

Yugi's small hand had a surprisingly strong pull as it finally dragged Atemu off the dance floor. Both of them were gasping for air between bursts of laughter, arms wrapped around each other as they stumbled toward a pair of empty seats. 

"And when you ran into that girl and knocked her over… Now _that_ was funny," Atemu chuckled, his chest rising and falling in the effort to fill his lungs. His hands found Yugi's again in the darkness.

Yugi pouted, leaning on Atemu's shoulder. "Don't act so surprised, I told you that I couldn't dance. _You_ said you'd help me."

Atemu shook his head. "I said I'd be _with_ you, meaning I can't dance either." He squeezed Yugi's hand playfully.

"Well, you could have tried a little harder, have a little fun, for once," Yugi insisted. But despite his teasing words, Yugi was grinning like mad, purple eyes sparkling like firecrackers. He was having a blast and that made Atemu feel good.

They had danced for a surprisingly long time. Yes, the idea of being surrounded by a mob of bumping human bodies did not appeal to Atemu, but one of those bodies had been Yugi's. Atemu had been consumed by the constant drifting of hands and Yugi's swaying hips in the flashing seizer lights. Atemu would catch Yugi's elbow, slip an arm around Yugi's waist before letting each other float apart again. Then Yugi would giggle then skip around and grab Atemu from behind. It was a dangerous, addictive ritual that made Atemu's emotions burn.

It was so wrong, Atemu knew. But even now, he saw himself take every opportunity to touch his partner, minutes of vigilant planning just so one of his stray fingers could brush the fabric of Yugi's clothing, as though it was an accident. This was insane.

Then, as Yugi and Atemu sat there, fingers and arms entwined, the music coming from the speakers changed. It slowed down and the students on the dance floor started moving into pairs.

"What's going on?" Atemu hissed in Yugi's ear, unnecessarily draping an arm across his shoulders.

"Slow dancing," Yugi said. "You know, couple's dance."

"Ah," Atemu noted uneasily. He noticed how all the boy-girl pairs were now rocking lazily back and forth in each others arms. The two of them sat on the edge of the room near the punch table where the stragglers and people who came without dates lurked sulky.

Atemu and Yugi were still holding hands though both of them had begun to look off in opposite corners of the gym.

A prickly sensation nagged Atemu's brain. Couple's dance… _Couple's_ dance.

"Ah Yugi…" Atemu spoke suddenly. The other turned to look at him at once, eyes very wide in the darkness.

"Yeah?" It was such a simple word so why did it have to fill Atemu with so much fear and uncertainty?

Atemu opened his mouth but didn't have a chance to get anything out, thanks to a girl who had just shouted his name very loudly.

"Atemu-kun! Hey handsome!" Atemu let out an extremely annoyed groan and turned to see Anzu, the overly bubbly dance committee girl. She was wearing a short, light blue, sparkly dress that had a noticeably low neck to show off her cleavage.

"Hello Anzu," Atemu drawled unenthusiastically.

"Good evening Anzu-chan," Yugi greeted as well. The girl looked slightly bewildered for a moment, confused about where this second voice had come from. Finally she spotted Yugi at Atemu's side.

"Oh. Hi Yugi," she greeted, voice bright as though she hadn't forgotten him at all. "Are you having fun?"

"Yes, very much!" Yugi squeezed Atemu's hand again and grinned.

"Good! If you have any complaints or improvements, just drop by the Dance Committee's room, 'kay?" Yugi nodded. Anzu's eyes that matched her dress inevitably came to rest on Atemu. "I was wondering if I could have that dance you promised me, Atemu-kun," she cooed, stepping closer to him lowing her eyelashes enticingly.

Atemu couldn't remember promising this girl anything.

"Well… Anzu-chan, really I would but I think my date would be upset."

Anzu looked a little taken aback for a second or two but then recovered. "Oh, I'm sure she won't mind if its just _one_ dance."

Atemu sighed. "I don't know." And because he was in such a good mood, Atemu twisted around and locked both his arms around the Yugi's waist, resting his head on his partner's small shoulder. "Do you think you would mind, Yugi?" he purred in his date's ear, loud enough for the girl to ear.

Anzu's mouth dropped open and her face drained of most of its color.

"Y-Yugi's… your-your _date_?" she questioned disbelievingly.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Atemu asked, falsely innocent. "We're _inseparable_, aren't we, darling?"

Even in the dark Atemu could feel the heat of embarrassment radiate off Yugi's face. "_Atemu-kun_!"

"Shh, love," Atemu hummed. "I'm handling this, baby." And so there was no doubt left in Anzu's mind he gave Yugi's ear lobe a quick gentle nimble.

Yugi squeaked. Anzu made a gasping, choking sound like a fish out of water.

Atemu looked back at her with a highly smug look. "Excuse us, would you?" And with that Atemu pulled the numb Yugi from his seat and steered him away from the punch table. Anzu, whose eyes were as wide and as shocked as light bulbs, was still choking and gasping weakly at the sight of the two of them.

The second they were out of earshot, Atemu laughed with uncharacteristic wickedness.

Yugi swerved around, breaking away from Atemu's hold and glaring at him. "What were you _thinking_?"

"What? I wanted her to leave us alone," Atemu explained, still chuckling. "It worked, didn't it?"

"Darling? _Baby_?" Yugi questioned incredulously. "Are you out of your mind?"

Atemu shrugged. "I'll come up with something better later."

"That's- not the point," Yugi stumbled.

"What is?" Atemu asked curiously.

"Don't you think you went a little far?"

"What do you mean?"

"You bit my ear!" Yugi hissed, keeping his voice down so that they didn't draw the attention of the students around them.

Atemu blinked. "You didn't like it?"

Yugi's fair complexion grew dark in the shadows. "It's not that I- I didn't- um, you know…" he mumbled. "It's… well, you weren't very nice to Anzu-chan."

"So?"

"She's my friend," Yugi pointed out. "And really she's not so bad if you gave her a chance, once you get passed the whole… girl thing. She's really nice. And she can't help it if you're totally, um… you know…" Yugi hesitated, clamping up and looking unconvincingly up at the ceiling.

Atemu grinned. "Go on."

Yugi chewed nervously on his bottom lip. "You know… you're… um, charismatic?"

"Oh _well_, if I'm _charismatic_," Atemu exclaimed in mock excitement.

Yugi looked at the floor. "It's not _just_ that. You're very… you know, appealing to people…"

"Appealing?" Atemu took a step closer, reached forward and ever so carefully moved a golden bang from in front of Yugi's purple eyes, finger tips brushing Yugi's skin. "How so?"

Yugi finally looked up into his face. "Um… well, you're really smart."

Atemu shrugged. "And?"

"And… you, um, have a great personality."

Atemu scoffed. "Yeah, _that's_ always good."

"No, it counts." Yugi took a hold of Atemu's nearest hand. "You're fun to be around, you even make people laugh, and you're nice, most the time," he added with a grin.

"To most people," Atemu reasoned fairly.

"And you… well." Yugi pulled on Atemu fingers nervously, one by one. "You're um, really, really… good looking."

"Really?" Atemu questioned. "Just _good_ looking?"

Yugi's face flushed, eyes tangled in Atemu's golden skinned hand. "No, more than that. A lot more."

Atemu grinned softly, slipping his free arm around his date, drawing him closer. "You're not so bad yourself."

Yugi smiled back, letting himself be pulled in. "Nothing in comparison, I'm sure."

"Don't be so sure." Atemu leaned down, head first.

This was it. He was so close…

Yugi put a hand on his date's chest. "Wait."

"I'd rather not," Atemu admitted, pouting again.

Yugi grinned, mischievously. "Let's dance."

"I liked my idea better," said Atemu gloomily with a dramatic sigh. "And _I_ was going to ask you to dance."

"Well, I beat you to it. Now are you going to dance with me or not?"

Atemu took Yugi's hand forcefully. "Fine, but_ I_ get to lead."

Yugi was grinning like mad again and, clutching Atemu to him, pulled him into motion, walking briskly past the tables of ruby punch and staling hors d'oeuvres. On the back wall were many folds of a silver curtain, part of the wintry decoration of the Holiday Dance. Yugi pulled Atemu behind it, away from the eyes of the teachers.

The curtain between them and the gym acted like a prefect filter, insulation the two of them into their own little world. Their own reality.

"I'm surprised someone's not already back here," Atemu commented.

Yugi strung his arms around his date's neck. "Now can I have this dance?"

Atemu gave Yugi's elbow a sharp tug, bringing Yugi forcefully into his hold. "Come here you."

Yugi giggled as Atemu's hands dropped to their proper place on his waist.

They swayed back and forth for a few minutes like that, bodies close to each other, more like hugging than dancing. Yugi was resting his head on Atemu's shoulder. They were actually almost the same height, Yugi being only a few inches shorter. Atemu liked the feeling of Yugi's breath on his neck and the smell of his dyed hair.

"Yugi… can I ask you a question?"

Yugi lifted his head up, eyes blinking sleepily in a way that made Atemu regret disturbing him. "What?"

"It's just something I've been wondering about," Atemu explained and Yugi nodded in understanding. "Ah… Bakura…"

Yugi blinked. "What about him?"

"He seems very protective of you."

"Um, yeah, he is. You know, family and all," Yugi admitted.

"Right, right," Atemu repeated distractedly. "He's, ah, your second cousin, right? Or was it your cousin once removed?"

Yugi looked puzzled. "I don't understand where you're going with this."

Atemu hesitated. "It's just… he seems really protective, almost possessive." Nerves were building up in his gut, throwing off the rhythm of his swaying feet. "Like… maybe he's jealous?"

Yugi stared at his partner for a few minutes, confused, trying to get at Atemu's hidden meaning. When he finally got it his eyebrows rose in surprise. "You don't think… there's something between Bakura and me?"

Atemu looked uncomfortable.

"You _do_?" Yugi realized suddenly. "No, no, it's nothing like that. I assure you." But Yugi's eyes dropped a bit, focusing on Atemu's collarbone rather than his face as he said, "We're nothing like that."

Something itched at the back of Atemu's mind. Yugi's voice was wavering. As much as Atemu didn't want to believe it, centuries of interrogation told him that there was something else behind his words. For the moment though, Atemu swallowed that feeling of uneasiness. Yugi wouldn't outright lie to him, of that he was absolutely certain. However there did seem to be more to this story.

"I'm sorry," Atemu apologized, hastily attempting to clean up the awkwardness in the conversation he had created. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not," Yugi reassured kindly, looking back up at him.

"It's just… if I'm going to hang around more often," Atemu paused ever so slightly, letting this phrase sink in, "I want to make sure I know what I'm dealing with."

"I see…" Yugi commented, a smile tugging at the edges of his mouth.

"Bakura always seems angry when I'm around," Atemu continued.

Yugi rolled his eyes. "He's _always_ angry. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Of course… that depends on how much you want to _hang around_," he added, with a grin.

"Hm…" Atemu mused playfully. "I think I'd like to hang around a lot, especially if it's with you."

"Well good," Yugi pointed out, "Because if you were only around to get with Bakura _I'd_ be jealous."

Atemu shivered in revulsion. "Don't even joke about that."

Yugi giggled.

Their eyes connected at that moment, unlike they ever had before. There was some perfect understanding lingering heavily in their bond at that moment; Atemu could see it shinning in Yugi's heavenly face. A link that didn't seem possible, almost too real, too perfect. The thought that passed between them was scary; it made Atemu want to run. This was crazy. He knew it was crazy. _He_ was crazy. But Yugi was so amazing…

"Yugi." Atemu's voice had gone horse. "You know- you do know that we're both-"

The small hands hanging on the back of Atemu's neck pulled him forward in one jerky tug, bringing him down to Yugi's level. The teenager didn't even have to pull himself up to plant a kiss on Atemu's unsuspecting mouth. It lasted longer than Atemu had expected but he caught on quickly. Their feet had stopped moving, minds completely preoccupied by the action.

Eventually, Yugi let Atemu's head back up.

"Guys?" Yugi suggested sweetly, finishing Atemu's sentence for him.

It took Atemu a few seconds to even remember what he had been talking about. "I was going to say, _insane_."

"That too," Yugi agreed.

Atemu tried to recover his serious tone. "You don't mind that we're both…" he paused, let out an exasperating sigh and finished lamely, "_Guys_?"

Yugi shook his head. "Nope."

Atemu tried to make himself look as stern as possible. "This is serious, Yugi."

"I know."

"We both have responsibilities."

"I know."

"We can't go back after this."

Yugi gave him a simple, obvious look, eyes so clear and pure that they gave off a determination that rivaled Jounouchi's stubbornness. "You couldn't force me to."

Atemu grinned. "Just wanted to make sure we were on the same page."

"We are." Yugi's hands traveled to the sides of Atemu's face. "Now stop worrying and let's continue with the fun stuff."

"Yes, sir." Atemu's arms tightened around Yugi's waist, pulling their bodies closer. He saw Yugi's eyes close before his own sight went out, puffs of Yugi's soft breath surrounding his senses as their mouths met again.

Atemu decided, as the two of them stopped dancing altogether, that he rather liked Yugi's ideas.

…)(-)-(Temptation)-(-)(…

Malik had been out on the dance floor for what must have been over two hours. Even during the slow songs he managed to partner up a girl from his biology class and then the guy who sat in front of him in math. He talked with his friends, even some from the geek crowd had found enough courage to show up. Malik had to admit, he was having a pretty good time.

Now however another slow dance number was upon them and Malik figured it was the perfect opportunity to see how Bakura had faired with his date.

'Knowing Bakura they probably just stood around doing nothing. Poor Ryou's got to be so bored,' Malik sighed. He scouted out the edges of the gym where the tables and chairs were all set up. 'Or maybe they left already…'

Fortunately for Malik, he spotted his two favorite white-haired heads sitting alone at a table. As he approached, a strange corrosive feeling arose unwillingly in the back of his mouth. They were sitting side by side, chairs close together. Ryou's head on Bakura's shoulder, Bakura's head perched on Ryou's hair; Ryou was holding Bakura's hand in his lap.

It was actually quite… cute.

Bakura looked asleep, eyes closed. Ryou, however, was awake, fixated on the gym floor. Malik stopped and watched the two for a moment. They were… dare he suggest it? Snuggling. Ok, so not really. For some reason it didn't have that comforting snuggly feel, the way Ryou seemed so watchful…

Finally Malik got his legs working again. Ryou caught the movement and looked up, startled.

"Malik-kun?"

Malik took a deep breath. "Can I talk to you? Over here," he added, meaning away from Bakura in case the guy should wake up.

Ryou nodded. Very slowly and with absolute care, he let go of Bakura's hand and placed it on the armrest between them. Then he shifted Bakura's head so that it rested on the back of Ryou's chair. Bakura did not wake up, he didn't even stir or twitch in his slumber. Malik was amazed.

Ryou joined him then, looking pleasantly expectant. "What is it?"

Malik sucked in another breath, almost swallowing his tongue in the process. "How do you feel about Bakura?" he asked bluntly.

Ryou's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean?" His voice was soft.

"Bakura's never admitted to liking anyone, you know, except… you," Malik explained. This was very important for Ryou to understand. "It would take a lot for Bakura to admit anything. He wouldn't have bothered if he didn't like you more than usual." Malik could feel his hands shaking. "He doesn't like me like that."

Ryou's shocked expression softened into guilt. It was painful to look at. "Malik…"

Malik stopped him. "Its alright, I've accepted it."

'Like hell,' his little voice taunted.

"The point isn't about me. I just want…" Malik had the swallow that acidic taste in his mouth. "I want Bakura to be happy. That's all. I want him to be happy with someone since it's not… Ryou, you better like him a lot back. Don't play with him, all right? Don't lead him on unless you mean it," he warned seriously. The tone that came out with his words even scared himself. "If you hurt him… I'll never forgive you."

The slow music continued in the background as Ryou stared at Malik for the longest time. He didn't look confused or surprised or upset. He was just staring at Malik, like he had been staring at the floor moments ago. Malik couldn't even see him blinking. He was starting to feel very uncomfortable when suddenly Ryou smiled. "I understand, Malik. You're right, Bakura deserves to be with someone who loves him."

"Ah… yeah," Malik agreed relaxing. Ryou was all right, he knew what Malik was talking about. Maybe this would be ok…

Then Ryou picked up his coat.

"What are you doing?" Malik asked confused.

"I'm going home," Ryou answered simply.

"What?" Malik exclaimed. What was going on? He didn't understand. Hadn't Ryou just said…? "But-but why are you leaving? What about Bakura?"

"I don't love him," Ryou stated calmly.

It was like he had just punched Malik in the stomach. The Egyptian couldn't breathe for a couple seconds. "What are you talking about? You… you two are _always_ together. You're always so…" Malik mouthed but his brain couldn't work fast enough.

"It's complicated, I can't…" Ryou hesitated as though something was stuck in his throat and he couldn't get it out. "You're absolutely right. I don't want him to get the wrong impression. I should just go." And to Malik's horror Ryou slipped his coat on and started making his way toward the door.

"I didn't want you to give up!" Malik cried, grabbing Ryou's arm before he could leave. "Bakura really likes you… You can't just leave him here!"

"Sorry, Malik, but I have to go." Ryou spoke almost stonily as he gently removed Malik's limp hand.

Malik had to stop him. This was all his fault. Bakura would hate him. He hated himself for doing this. Ryou couldn't _not_ love Bakura. They were so perfect together. There was just no way… "But Ryou…"

The pale skinned teenager gave Malik one last small smile. How could he look so _dammed_ happy about this? "Take care of him." Then Malik watched as Ryou turned around and left, walking right out of the gym.

Horror and terrible guilt consumed Malik as he stood there, letting the one Bakura wanted walk out the door. He had caused this. What was he going to do? What would happen when Bakura woke up and found Ryou gone?

What was Malik going to tell him?

'Tell him? Tell him what?' his little voice accused. 'Didn't you hear him? Bakura's yours.'

'No,' Malik argued, falling back into his chair. 'No. Bakura's never going to be mine.'

And if Malik didn't do something, Bakura wasn't going to be anybody's.

…)(-)-(Temptation)-(-)(…

This, Bakura decided, had been a bad idea. Resting one's head on another's looked neat on TV but it was damn uncomfortable. For one, he had never realized how bony Ryou's head was before. Apparently all that fluffy, snow-white hair was hiding a misshapen skull, which was currently digging painfully into his temple. And his neck was also really starting to hurt because of the awkward angle he had placed it in.

Never again. He was _never_ going to fall asleep on Ryou again. Next time Ryou could fall asleep on _him_, see how _his_ neck felt.

Speaking of his depressing date, had the human gotten shorter?

Bakura woke with a start, neck snapping back to its normal positioning. His head spun at the sudden flow of oxygen to his human brain and the joints in his neck complained because of his sudden movement.

And Ryou was no longer by his side. No longer holding his hand.

His gut jumped, he could feel his human heart race. Bakura scanned his surroundings, Ryou couldn't have gone far. He wouldn't have, not without telling Bakura first. He never had before. Bakura stood up. Maybe someone had dragged him out of his chair. Then why hadn't Bakura woken up? Stupid humans and their incessant wandering.

"He left."

Before Bakura could break out into a savage search of the dance, he spotted a certain gloomy looking Egyptian watching him from the other side of the table. Malik was strategically spilling his red punch on the white tablecloth to make patterns, watching the liquid spread through the weave of the fabric.

Malik glanced up at him blearily and then looked back down at the tablecloth he had given splotchy pink poka-dots. "Ryou. He left."

The room spun. "He _left_?" Bakura accused.

Malik did not look up. "Said he was going home."

This was odd. Why would Ryou leave without him? That wasn't like Ryou, thinking for himself, being initiative. And Bakura had actually been enjoying their closeness. It made his human body warm, not satisfied, but it had been better then nothing. He had let the human hold his fucking hand! Let the pale human distract him from his search for demons! How bad had their… what was is it now? A date? Had that been a date?

"You should go after him," Malik suggested.

Bakura looked up, saw Malik's light brown face lined with exhaustion.

Then a switch went on in the angel's brain.

What reason did Ryou have for running away? What problems could an ordinary human have compared to his? Nothing of importance that was for certain.

Bakura stood up. He was going to settle this. He was going to find Ryou and… _do_ something to him. He was _not _going to take this, not from some sniveling human beast. He turned and was just about to make his way towards the exit when someone grabbed his arm.

Even now, Malik wasn't looking at him directly. "Will you give Ryou a message for me?"

Bakura frowned, what could Malik possibly have to tell Ryou? "What?"

…)(-)-(Temptation)-(-)(…

The moon was out in the sky that night, round and full. Not good flying weather. Too exposed, Ryou was likely to be spotted in the moonlight. So Ryou walked. He wasn't in a hurry to get home.

As the tumultuous dance music finally faded away, Ryou passed through a Domino shopping center where all the stores were closed down for the evening. He didn't see a single person on the street.

It was all extremely depressing.

Ryou tried not to think about what had happened back at the dance. He tried not to think about the horrified expression on Malik's face when he had left. He tried not to think about Bakura's strong, cool hand in his. He tired not to remember his smell or the feel of his hair or the vision he had had of his beautiful human self covered in ruby red blood…

And he was failing miserably.

That was when Ryou heard the rapid heavy footsteps on the sidewalk behind him. Ryou had no doubt who was following him. Malik was such a traitor.

'No, go away,' he pleaded silently. 'I don't want to see you.' But it was useless. Still Ryou pretended he couldn't hear the sounds of his pursuer and only turned when a hand grabbed his shoulder and forcefully spun him around.

The human's eyes told Ryou that Bakura was pissed, to say the least. He didn't start shouting as Ryou had suspected, he just stood there glaring at the demon as though at any moment the fiery rage festering inside the human's chest would explode. Those narrowed, dangerous, violet eyes of his still made Ryou queasy with their depth, like Ryou was something very, very small the human could squish.

Ryou sighed, accepting the inevitable "Would you like some coffee?"

Bakura squinted at him, asking if he was serious.

Ryou pointed to the only store that was still open this late, a café across the street. "Coffee," Ryou repeated.

Bakura scowled, arms crossed over in chest. "Whatever." He was really angry and Ryou couldn't blame him. They crossed the street and entered the café. There was no one inside except the lady at the counter and some old guy in the corner, picking the raisins off his scone.

"What do you want?" Ryou asked as the glass front door closed behind them.

"Answers," Bakura grunted moodily, still glaring at him.

"I meant from the menu," Ryou clarified simply. "Do you want coffee or a snack?"

Bakura scoffed. "Neither."

The lady behind the counter's eye makeup wrinkled as she made a face at them.

"I'll get you a hot chocolate," Ryou reasoned, pulling his wallet out of his pocket. "Pick a table." Bakura flopped down into the nearest chair and Ryou could feel the human's haunting dark stare following him as he purchased a hot chocolate and a coffee for himself. He paid the woman and brought the cups to the table.

There was silence for a couple of minutes as Ryou tested out his coffee, blowing on it and taking a couple of tiny cautious slips. Bakura hadn't so much as looked at his own drink.

Ryou was stalling for time. But the delay would not help him.

"Malik wanted me to give you a message," Bakura began testily.

Ryou tried to look pleasantly confused. "Message?"

"He says, 'Don't fucking kid yourself'," Bakura stated.

Guilt, heavily laden down with a couple cases of disgust and misery, hit Ryou's brain. What had he thought Malik would say? Thanks? Thanks for shoving your leftovers onto me?

Ryou's head fell. The steam from his coffee was stinging his eyes. He had been so stupid, so very stupid.

"_Well_?" Bakura questioned, a muscle in his forehead twitching.

Ryou sunk in his chair. "Um… It's really not that important. I was just being silly, that's all…"

Bakura didn't look satisfied but he didn't ask again. The human just sat there, waiting. Eyes locked severely on Ryou's bent head as though trying to interrogate him with his mind.

Ryou did not look up. For once he didn't want to look into Bakura's dangerous eyes. He knew what Bakura wanted to know. But he couldn't tell him. He didn't want to tell him. Ryou wanted to be back home where things made sense and he _knew_ where the lines were and what he was supposed to do.

"Are you attracted to me?" Bakura questioned finally, trying to get the conversation started.

The old guy in the corner spit up his tea. Bakura didn't care about eavesdroppers.

"I suppose…" Ryou admitted drearily. Did it matter? Higher Beings didn't reproduce, they didn't even have sexes. Higher Beings weren't supposed to be attracted to anyone.

"Then what's the freaking problem?"

Ryou's grip on his cup tightened. "… You wouldn't understand."

Bakura snorted in indignation. "You're right. I don't fucking understand."

His words hurt. "It's complicated," Ryou stated.

Bakura slouched in his seat, leaning intimidating toward his companion. "Explain it to me," he ordered.

'Explain? Sure. Every time I'm with you I want to eat your precious, sweet, sweet human blood. One of these days I'm going to eat you.' But there was no use thinking like that.

"I can't… do _this_." Ryou's hand was over his eyes. He couldn't look at Bakura, he didn't _want_ to look at him right now. "I just can't do it, ok?"

"Why?" Bakura questioned.

"Because…" Ryou had to think of something. Something vague yet plausible, so simple that even a human could comprehend it. "I'm... not staying here long. Soon I'll have to leave and you will never see me again."

"Why?"

"I _can't_ tell you." Ryou's voice went shrill. He wasn't supposed to be getting upset like this. He was supposed to be stronger than these human feelings. Ryou forced himself to breathe, calming himself down. "It's… family matters. I have no say in it."

A pause, Ryou didn't look out from under his hand. "When?"

"I don't know. It could be at any time."

More silence. "Is that it?" asked Bakura.

'No, it's more than that!' Ryou wanted to scream. 'It's against the Laws! I'm not allowed… I _can't_ love you! It's impossible!'

"I'm not…" Ryou hesitated. The hand over his eyes was shaking but he couldn't look at Bakura. "I can't…"

"But do you?"

Ryou's breathed hitched, the trembling grew worse. "What?"

"Do you… even though you can't?"

Strong cool fingers pulled his hands away from his face and held them. God, _held_ them! Bakura wasn't supportive like that. He didn't care- he wasn't supposed to care about anyone but himself…

Ryou's eyes squeezed shut. Couldn't look. Shouldn't look at him. "A little bit…"

Bakura scoffed, his grip on Ryou's hands tightened. "A _little_ bit?"

Ryou realized his mistake. Malik had said: _"It would take a lot for Bakura to admit anything. He wouldn't have bothered if he didn't like you more than usual…"_

"I can't, Bakura. You don't understand, I _really_ can't," Ryou rambled apologetically, voice getting smaller and smaller, "I'm not allowed to- I'm not _supposed_ to-"

"Shut up," ordered Bakura.

Ryou was so surprised that the human could sound so ferocious and powerful that his eyes snapped open, and it was too late now because Ryou was looking directly into the human's angry, dark violet eyed glare.

And just like that the demon was trapped forever. Ryou knew Bakura's desires as clearly as he saw that image of himself, like a perfect mirror, reflected in Bakura's dark eyes.

Still dazed, Ryou let Bakura grab the collar of his fancy shirt and dragged him halfway across the table.

"Shit, you're annoying," Bakura hissed. They're faces were so close Ryou could smell his very own terrified coffee breath bouncing off Bakura's mouth. "Do you always _have_ to do what you're told?"

"Yes," Ryou answered without thinking.

He could see Bakura's scowl up close now. "No, you don't."

And Ryou knew what Bakura wanted to do with him.

Bakura jerked Ryou's head upwards and kissed him. Several times.

The human had a death grip on Ryou's head as he kissed the corners of Ryou's mouth and then his lips. He kissed them over and over again rather sloppily as though he was in some feverish rush. Ryou's hand fumbled for Bakura's head, only dimly aware of knocking something over in the process. He grabbed a bunch of Bakura's hair, forcing him to stay still, to calm. Their kisses became slower, deeper and more controlled.

Ryou didn't care at the moment that he had spilled seething hot coffee all over the table that he was now strewn across or that the old man in the corner was having some sort of seizure at the sight of them or that the lady behind the counter was gaping at them. Ryou was at an awkward angle, twisted halfway on his side to reach Bakura's face better. And as he tried to steady himself with his remaining hand, he knocked over the unsuspecting cup of hot chocolate.

Bakura jumped as the burning hot liquid flew onto him. "_Fuck_!" he cried.

"Good Lord!" the woman behind the counter gasped.

Bakura released Ryou, sending him unsteadily down onto the coffee-dripping table. It hurt because Ryou landed badly on his elbows, and Bakura was cursing loudly, and now the old guy looked like he was having some sort of heart attack, and the store lady was appalled and red-faced furious, and Ryou's fancy white shirt was completely ruined from the spilled coffee.

As Ryou lay there dripping, an insane feeling gurgled up in his throat and he suddenly started to laugh. His whole body was shaking with the force, ribs hurting. He was laughing so hard that his arms were going into some kind of paralysis. He completely lost control of his mind and wasn't even sure what was so damn funny.

He wasn't aware of the old man rushing out of the café, or the lady coming out from behind the counter and practically shoving him and Bakura out the front door.

When Ryou finally came to, he was clutching Bakura's strong body to keep himself standing, and Bakura, surprisingly, was letting him. Roars of laughter died into giggles as Ryou leaned up against Bakura for the third time that night and, good freaking hell, it felt nice. They were outside in the middle of the sidewalk in the center of a dead empty town. And it was night.

Ryou stopped giggling. Frigid winter air that made the hair on the back of Ryou's neck rise, and there was lots of silence before either of them spoke.

"Sorry," Ryou muttered softly. His ear was next to Bakura's shoulder, thump, thump, thump. He continued to clutch Bakura's warm solid body, drinking in his musty human scent that drove the demon's senses wild.

Bakura snorted. "You can't help it if you're insane."

Ryou shrugged. "Walk me home?" Bakura nodded without comment and the two of them began to stroll.

…)(-)-(Temptation)-(-)(…

"We haven't seen you for a while, Kaiba-sama. How has the human world been treating you?" The angel had a pointed face and blue-feathered wings. She wasn't the most pleasant creature to look at but she had excellent resources. That was why he had hired her. Now he had the opportunity to make sure he was getting his money's worth.

Kaiba's jaw tightened at the question. "Awful," he replied coolly. "How has he been taking the medication?"

The angel looked surprised at his answer. "Oh, he's been just perfect about it, sir. Never complains or whines, that one. He's such a darling, sweet too-"

"Where is he?" Kaiba cut her off roughly. He didn't have the time to listen to this angel blubber.

"Up in his room, sir. Studying, been up there all day," said the caretaker.

In a rustle of black feathers, Kaiba swept across the grand hall and up the stairs of his house to the second level, not paying the caretaker anymore heed. He glided down the corridor and then up another staircase. His destination was the tower at the corner of his property.

The Council had given him this small palace to live in because of his glory to the Holy Army. The structure was separated from the larger population by several large stretches of land, Kaiba was quite sure that was to keep him out of sight. It wouldn't be good publicity if the general public knew that a Tainted One was in the Council's good favor. He was used and then shoved out of sight. Kaiba barely spent any time in this place; he usually stayed in his office back in the human world where he felt useful, until recently.

The small palace was, however, perfect for his private uses.

Kaiba reached the door of the room at the top of the tower. He swung it open, in a far softer manner than he had entered the front door.

The room was empty and the window was open, its shutters creaked as they swung in the wind.

A fire of rage lit behind Kaiba's icy eyes.

The room was _not_ supposed to be empty.

Furious, the Tainted one charged back down all the sets of stairs, arriving in front of the caretakers as a flurry of black raven feathers in the entrance hall.

"He is _not_ in his room!" Kaiba roared, towering over the angel. "Where _is_ he? And you better have an answer for me or you are _beyond_ fired," he hissed dangerously. The caretaker looked terrified.

"B-but he was in his r-room last t-time I looked, s-sir," she protested, quivering under his gaze. "Not a f-few moments ago."

Kaiba could feel fire burning on his hands. "Well, he's _not_ there _now_ so you'd better find him, shouldn't you?" The frighten angel nodded, unable to produce any speech. "And if anything happens to him I will _personally_ see that you are _maimed_, your wings _torn off_ and your soul dammed for all _eternity_." He didn't have to raise his voice to get his point thoroughly across. The caretaker made a choking sound and then flew out the palace in frantic lightening speed.

Kaiba scowled. 'Another one down. I'm running out of caretakers.' He cursed at himself for trusting his most precious possession in the hands of someone so incompetent. Stretching out his large black wings a final time, Kaiba jumped into the air.

If he was right, which he usually was, Kaiba knew exactly where his charge would be heading.

* * *

…)(-)-(Temptation)-(-)(…

* * *

Well… I guess you didn't actually meet the new character… you just heard about him… or her. Ok, let's not kid ourselves, Kaiba's charge is male. _Hmmmmm_… wonder who that could be??? But I was right about that character that Atemu had to fight off, in a supremely humorous way. Oh that Anzu… always good for a laugh. And a cry. Mostly a cry. 

Yugi and Atemu make me sing in the shower.

Ryou _is_ insane.

NEXT CHAPTER!: Feud and TENSION. Atemu and Bakura have a misunderstanding… or an understanding, whatever way you look at. Yugi's freaking out. Jounouchi is like the spy the way he's got all these secret missions, or not-so-secret missions.

I really should stop contradicting myself.

**REVIEW!!**

That's simple.

**REVIEW!!**


	14. Reverberation

I'm soooooooooooooooooorry!!! I WAS ILL! I WAS DISTRACTED! I WAS SO SO SO SO SO BUSY!!! But that is no excuse… Accept my apologies. Grand people.

I'm in a weird mood. I kinda want to run around in circles and sleep, and cut myself. I kid. I kid. That's the weirdness at the moment.

READ OR PERISH!!!

**

* * *

Chyaputa 14: Reverberation**

1. _Physics_: the persistence of a sound after its source has stopped, caused by multiple reflection of the sound within a closed space.

2. a remote or indirect consequence of some action

* * *

It was Monday, the last real day of school until winter vacation. Exams were on the horizon. The pressure was on and Malik was already feeling the strain. But it was not only studying that he was worried about right now. The Egyptian had not heard of what became of Ryou and Bakura last Friday night after the dance. 

It was obvious, however, when the two of them came walking into school together. They weren't holding hands or anything cute like that but the atmosphere around them just seemed cleaner. They talked less, as though everything that could be said was already understood. No one else in school probably even noticed, except Malik.

There was a hand on his shoulder and the Egyptian turned away from his locker to find Ryou standing next to him.

"Hey," the pale skinned teenager mumbled. They hadn't had a chance to talk since Friday. Words were awkward as expected.

"Where's Bakura?" Malik asked casually, facing his locker again.

"Oh…" Ryou looked embarrassed. "Probably still in class."

Malik made an affirmative sound and continued stacking books into his locker.

"Look Malik-kun, I-"

Malik shut his locker door with a loud bang, interrupting whatever Ryou was about to say. "How could you do that to me, Ryou?"

The other student's white haired head bent forward in shame. "I'm sorry. I know how you feel about Bakura I just… wasn't thinking."

"Damn right you weren't," Malik agreed sharply. "I don't know what scared you that night but you've got to freaking get over it. And don't tell me you don't like him. I'm not blind you know. I'm not freaking stupid, Ryou."

"I know you're not…"

"You are so fucking selfish. Do you have any idea what it was like telling him you had left? Did you think that just by leaving him behind he would magically forget all about you? People aren't _things_ Ryou. You can't just hand them off. If you don't freaking want to be with someone don't depend on someone else to do your dirty work for you. I meant what I said, you know. If you hurt Bakura I really won't forgive you."

"Malik." Ryou's voice was very small.

"What?" Malik questioned, finally turning toward his friend again. He was caught off balance when Ryou's arms were suddenly thrown around him in an unexpected hug. It was odd because, now that Malik thought of it he had never ever seen Ryou so touchy-feely, he couldn't even remember Ryou shaking hands before. And his body was oddly cool.

"Thank you," said Ryou.

Malik rolled his eyes and sighed, hugging Ryou awkwardly back. "Freaking hell, Ryou. Don't _do_ that to me anymore."

"I won't," Ryou promised, finally letting the other teenager go, smiling- no, grinning, Ryou was _grinning_. He seemed… happy.

"Yeah, yeah. Now go find your boy toy, I bet he's lonely without you," Malik dismissed.

Ryou nodded. "Ok. See you at lunch, alright?"

"Sure," Malik answered as Ryou disappeared off down the hall.

'Like they'll be any room for me at lunch,' Malik thought glumly. He sighed, stuffed his hands in his pockets and made his way to his next class. 'My life as a third wheel begins anew.'

Bakura was happy, Ryou was happy and, hell, even _Malik_ was happy for them. So everything had turned out for the best. Right?

…)(-)-(Reverberation)-(-)(…

Unfortunately for Jounouchi, not all the teachers understood that trying to stuff _more_ knowledge into the students' brains, two days before exams, was futile. So unlike Yugi, Atemu, and Ryou who were in gym this period, and therefore having a grand old time, the blonde was stuck in his regular seat in Biology class.

To the displeasure of all her students, Kiroi-sensei had just given them a brand new assignment to work on over the break. While his fellow classmates began their individual projects, Jounouchi glared out at the grey skies, cursing every second that the clock ticked away.

"Jounouchi Katsuya." Kiroi-sensei was looming over him with heavily lined red lips and blue eyes.

"Yes, Kiroi-sensei," Jounouchi answered, awaiting punishment.

"You were Kaiba's project partner, right?"

Jounouchi frowned. If she was going to lecture him on how he should fucking assert himself _again_, the blonde was going to take off right there, jump out the window if necessary. "Yes…"

Instead the teacher slapped a folder down his desk. Jounouchi eyed the thing distastefully. He hoped the woman wasn't forcing extra work on him, especially not during their vacation.

"Kaiba's been missing a lot of school recently, so I was planning on sending him the new assignment through email but the school network is down again," she explained.

And why was this Jounouchi's problem?

"So," the teacher concluded briskly. "If you would be so kind as to drop this off at Kaiba's house so that he doesn't fall behind…"

"His- _what_?" Jounouchi exclaimed in horror. Like _hell_ he was going to over to that bastard's home again! "Why do_ I_ have to do it?"

"Well…" The teacher began, thinking. "I don't know if you've noticed but Kaiba doesn't have that many people that he normally talks to…"

'That's cause the bastard's too fucking arrogant to associate to anyone!' Jounouchi cursed silently.

"And I've been asking around the students and no one seems to know where he lives but since you were his partner you two must have worked over there, right?"

"We didn't work together all that well," Jounouchi grumbled. Hadn't that been obvious from his participation grade?

"But you do know where he lives."

"Ah yeah, but I'm not-"

"Great, so you'll be good enough to take this work to him," the instructor finished as though the matter was settled.

"Kiroi-sensei, you don't understand," Jounouchi protested, voice dropping to an urgent hiss so that he wouldn't attract unwanted attention of the other students. "Me and Kaiba don't get along… _at all_. I'm _really_ not the person who should be doing this."

The teacher sighed. "Fine. Tell you what, if you get this work to Kaiba, I'll count it as a couple of extra credit points added to your mid-term, how about that?"

Jounouchi's eyes widened. Now the teacher was _bribing_ him? This was ridiculous.

Then again… his common sense kicked in late, as usual. He was, after all, failing science. He needed at least a high "B" on the final to get a passing grade and the only way he would get that was by some miracle. Atemu had been bugging him about his grades lately, as if their whole secrecy as demons depended on it. Personally Jounouchi didn't care, but if it got Atemu off his back for even five seconds…

Jounouchi groaned in defeat. "I'll get it to him."

"Thank you." Kiroi-sensei gave him a sweet smile. "Now I suggest you get started on your own project. You don't want to fall behind yourself."

…)(-)-(Reverberation)-(-)(…

Students gathered at one wall, lining up in their identical gym uniforms, talking excitedly to each other. Vacation was almost upon them, after all, and the gym teacher had promised the students a game of dodge ball today to take off the stress of exams.

Yugi didn't like dodge ball, but it was better than running laps or fitness tests.

As he entered the gym, he immediately spotted the object of his thoughts and jumbled feelings in the crowd. Atemu was currently talking to Ryou, the kid from his morning History class, the same guy Yugi thought he had seen Bakura with at the dance. As Yugi approached, Atemu looked up and flashed him a grin that made more delicious memories come flooding back into Yugi's mind. His heart soared.

"Hey," Atemu greeted.

Yugi beamed at him. "Hi."

"Hello," said the pale teenager, Ryou.

Atemu's eyes glanced sideways at Ryou and they dropped a little bit. "Um, Yugi. This is Ryou." The introduction sounded strangely formal.

"We've met," Yugi mentioned warmly, "You're Bakura's friend, right?"

"Yes." Yugi could not see any emotion pass through Ryou's expression.

A twinge of worry crossed the angel's mind as he settled on the wall next to his boyfriend. Atemu didn't reach for Yugi's hand like he had at lunch or when they met in between classes, it was almost as if he was embarrassed around Ryou, unlike with Jounouchi and the others. It looked as though Atemu and Ryou were trying to act as casual as possible, almost painfully so. Yugi bit his lip.

Bakura appeared a moment later and, after giving Atemu another one of his deadly "move and I'll kill you" glares, positioned himself on the end next to Ryou. Atemu responded to this threat by taking Yugi's hand, pleased at how this made Bakura's eye twitch.

Yugi sighed regretfully.

The gym teacher saved them from a long hostile silence.

"Now I'd hope that all of you know the rules of dodge ball by now," the gym instructor began, hands folding behind his back and marching up and down the line of students like an officer before his soldiers. Yugi was too busy watching Atemu and Bakura firing dangerously sharp glares at each other over the oblivious Ryou's head to pay much attention what the man was saying.

Finally the teacher split the students into two groups. Somehow it ended up with Bakura and Atemu on one team and Ryou and Yugi on the other.

Students handed out rubber balls to both sides of the dividing line. When the gym teacher blew his whistle, the chaos ensued.

Without dipping into his High Being powers, Yugi was not very good at throwing the foam balls with any particular force or accuracy, neither, he soon learned, was Ryou, but the two stayed together, picking up balls that rolled toward them and inching up to the center line just far enough to toss a ball at an unsuspecting opponent. Yugi was actually having fun for a while, and he and Ryou managed to stay in the game much longer than either one of them had expected.

That is until Yugi got hit in the chest with a ball and when he looked to see who had thrown it, it turned out to be Bakura.

Yugi shrugged and handed his ball off to Ryou. "Good luck." Then he trotted over to the "out" area and waited with his fellow students until the game was over.

On the other side of the dividing line however trouble was brewing. Yugi's eyes immediately sot out Atemu in the blurry mass of running, jumping teenagers. He spotted him but to his dismay found him marching over to Bakura with a stern expression.

A feeling of intense apprehension sprouted in Yugi.

"You ever heard of loyalty?" Atemu questioned. "You just _hit_ Yugi. He's your cousin."

Bakura gave him an obviously grunt. "Yugi is on the _other_ team. Excuse me, _was_ on the other team," he returned, ignoring Atemu's presence as he chucked another foam ball at a small defenseless teenager.

"What is your problem?" Atemu demanded.

"What the hell is yours?" Bakura snapped back, catching another ball before it could hit him.

Atemu had stopped taking interest in the game the moment Yugi had gotten out. "Look, I don't particularly like you. And I know you're not exactly fond of me either-"

"Glad we got that all straightened out."

Atemu plowed on, ignoring Bakura's dry comment. "But Ryou's hangs out with you and you're Yugi's family so let's at least try to tolerate each other."

Bakura scoffed. "Be sure to get right on that."

Atemu was not pleased. "I'm trying to make things easier."

"Don't give me that shit. Ever since we met, you've detested me, why stop now?" Bakura sneered. "You're right. I don't like you, _at all_. You want to make things easier? Back off."

'Oh, this is _bad_,' Yugi thought horribly, hands gripping his face. Bakura and Atemu were just standing there in the middle of the dodge ball battle field as balls whizzed dangerously passed them. Neither one had any notion of backing down; it was like watching two gigantic boulders charging at each other, knowing that when they met there would be a gruesome collision.

Atemu's red eyes flashed. "Yugi has free will, he can do what he wants with _whoever_ he wants, without permission from you," he growled. "You'll just have to deal with the fact that, whether you like it or not, I'm going to be around."

"Just like _you'll_ have to deal with the fact that Ryou and I will be around more often?" Bakura taunted wickedly.

Yugi jumped. Ryou? That had been the second time Bakura had said his name. But why mention Ryou to Atemu of all people? What was going on?

Meanwhile Atemu's expression dropped, shifted, then hardened once again. "What are you talking about?"

Bakura looked quite smug. "Just that Ryou and I have come to an agreement about our… standing. With no help from you, I suspect."

Atemu's mouth twitched, his stance grew very rigid from what Yugi could see. "Ryou's _not_ going out with you."

"Oh really?" Bakura questioned, turning on his opponent once again.

Atemu's voice had reached an all time low, grinding in the back of his throat. "Ryou doesn't date," he stated fiercely.

"Right. You go ahead and believe that…" Bakura said mildly.

"He would have told me."

"And I'm sure you know every tiny snippet of his life."

Atemu replanted his feet. "Ryou wouldn't," he said with absolute certainty. "He listens to me."

"Not always, apparently."

"You don't know anything about him," Atemu snapped, suddenly furiously. His eyes were very wide and very angry, even Yugi, who was a good thirty meters away, took a step back. "He doesn't need to be around people like _you_. And you have _no idea_ what our relationship is like."

"Relationship?" the word came out of Yugi's mouth barely above a whisper. Something in his stomach dropped. He had never heard this before, never even thought Atemu and Ryou could be possibly connected an hour ago and now… now it seemed Yugi had over looked something very deep and very dangerous.

With one tilt of a brow, Bakura's expression changed entirely. "And what exactly is your _relationship_ with him?"

Yugi's breathing stopped, waiting for Atemu's answer.

"Nothing you could possibly understand."

Yugi had never seen Atemu so flustered like this before.

"I think I have an idea," Bakura hissed, eyes going narrow. "Maybe its not that Ryou doesn't date…" A positively evil mischievous glow lit Bakura's face, "Maybe he just doesn't date _you_."

Yugi's heart stopped.

Atemu choked on air and then came back spitting. "How _dare_ you…"

"Anyone can see that you care for the guy," Bakura continued mercilessly, yanking Atemu's strings. "It must hurt how he's never even considered you."

"There's _nothing_ like that between us," Atemu snarled, eyes alight with indignant fury. "You don't know a damn thing about him or me."

"I've seen you. You'd do anything to please him. Crawling into his good graces?"

Yugi gazed longingly at his preoccupied date. This was wrong, where was Bakura getting this stuff? This didn't sound like Atemu at all. Yugi waited for him to deny it, to call Bakura a liar.

Instead Atemu's face twisted. "At least I'm not infatuated with my _cousin_."

A ball was thrown at Bakura. The angel smacked the thing to the ground without even the slightest glance.

"You're on bad ground," Bakura hissed, glowering with his full intensity.

'No… No, no, Atemu, you _didn't_ just say that,' Yugi pleaded, hands up at his face again. Hardly anyone was playing anymore, they were all glancing back and forth between Bakura and Atemu, trying to see who would break first.

"It must be hard, living with him all the time. Is that why you're so angry? Too much frustration building up inside? You want to keep him all to yourself. Jealousy is an ugly thing. Incest is even uglier."

That did it. Bakura snapped.

Yugi could hear the impact of Bakura's fist on Atemu's face, Good Heaven, his _beautiful_ face, from across the room.

Something deep and swollen in Yugi's gut hurt. Before he had decided to do it, Yugi was skidding across the gym floor, sprinting flat out towards the center of the room. The entire gym class, including the coach, froze for a few seconds and then to the bewilderment of all Atemu threw a furious punch right back at Bakura.

Yugi stumbled as the murderous, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" cheers of the students began, ringing off the gym walls like a chorus. Nobody was listening to the coach or how his cheeks were turning red blowing his whistle. Yugi shoved his way in through the crowd of screaming spectators and, seeing one of Bakura's wild battering arms, clung to it, forcing the other angel back away from Atemu.

"_Bakura, please stop_!" Yugi commanded; his small voice, aided no doubt by his suppressed angelic presence, carried over the tumultuously ruckus surrounding them.

Yugi could not remember a time when he had ever _seriously_ ordered Bakura to do anything. He had never actually needed to use his rank against his friend before. And for a moment, he wasn't even sure if it would work.

Thankfully, Bakura cursed and stopped advancing.

On the other side, Ryou, who had been on the floor and therefore gotten to the fight much faster, was standing in front of Atemu, hands on his chest. When all finally came to a stop and the crowd ceased their tauntings with much disappointment, Bakura tore his arm viciously from Yugi's grip.

…)(-)-(Reverberation)-(-)(…

After a long lecture about violence in school from the coach and then again from the principle, Atemu and Bakura had been shoved off in separate rooms to recover.

Ryou had remained outside the room during the nurse's examination and treatment of Atemu's injures, mostly because the smell of blood, however little, leaking out of Atemu's nose and split lip was enough to make his stomach grumble. Plus, he hadn't wanted to start any conversations with the woman present.

Finally the nurse finished her business and Ryou nodded her off with a smile before very cautiously letting himself inside the recovery room.

Atemu was sitting on the cot with a bandage on his lip, another over his nose, and tissues stuffed up his nostrils.

Atemu frowned, the band-aid on his lip crinkling. He was looking down at the floor. "Shouldn't you be tending to your _boyfriend_?"

Ryou decided to sit and stared at his best friend some more before answering. Actually, he was trying to give his stomach time to adjust to the whiff of blood that still lingered in the air. Suppressed and restrained instincts threatened to twitch into life. "I'm sure Yugi-kun can handle him."

Atemu glared at his shoes. "He and you are dating then?"

The room shifted, and Ryou suddenly felt exhausted. This question was over done. "Probably."

"That's kind of important to know, especially regarding _our_ circumstances," Atemu pressed. "It would have been nice if you had told me."

"You didn't tell me about Yugi."

Atemu's frown deepened; the very edge the band-aid began to separate from his skin.

Ryou let another moment of silence pass before beginning the conversation again. "Atemu-kun… What happened? You don't pick fights."

"I can't explain it any clearer than I've already tried. I don't…" Atemu paused, looked up at the ceiling as though for inspiration. "He gets under my skin. There's just something in his attitude, his look, the way he treats you…"

"He treats me fine," Ryou insisted. "You worry too much."

"Don't brush me off like that, Ryou. I'm serious. I know you can't see what I do but I just… don't… like this guy."

"What really bothers you about him?" Ryou asked.

"I don't know…"

Ryou turned his stare to the floor. "Do you not like him because he likes me?" He could hear Atemu's slow and steady intake of breath.

"Ryou… I don't think you understand." Atemu slid so that his legs hung off the side of the cot, daggling into Ryou's vision.

He could feel it. These were the words he didn't want to hear. Ryou was going to regret this conversation.

"You're in dangerous condition. You could break out into another bout of withdrawal at any time and who knows how long we'll be here. Even now you have to struggle to keep a hold of yourself," Atemu recognized seriously.

Ryou's hands tightened on his chair but he refused to acknowledge the other's observation.

"You _have_ to be careful. Now more than ever. If an angel catches you when you're in that weaker state…"

"I fail to see how this has anything to do with Bakura," Ryou interrupted.

"It has everything to do with him!" Atemu cried. Though Ryou still could not see him, he could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Do you have reason to believe Bakura's an angel?"

"Ah, no… not exactly… but that's not the point," Atemu added awkwardly, skidding away from the subject. "Ryou, it's not only your body but your mind. You're emotionally unstable … you can't… trust your judgment right now."

Ryou lifted his head. He could feel his features stiffening. "So you think I'm delusional?"

"No! That's…" Atemu groaned in frustration. "I'm not explaining this very well. Haven't you noticed? Bakura's very angry, possessive, jealous…"

"I don't understand." Ryou examined Atemu suspiciously.

And then Ryou saw that haunting, treacherous thought that was hiding behind best friend's red eyes.

Atemu's jaw clenched. "Who else do you know that is obsessively, _violently_ possessive over you?"

Ryou stood up from the chair very suddenly, limbs suddenly rigid. "You… you think…" A feeling Ryou had never associated with Atemu before rose in Ryou's throat like poison. It was so strong he thought he might gag. "You think… I'm attracted to Bakura because… he reminds me of… _Him_."

Ryou knew Atemu felt guilty. "It's not completely unreasonable…"

"Depends on where you're standing," Ryou spoke. The poison was affecting his nerves, his hands were trembling. This had never happened before, never when he was out on a mission, only when he was trapped in that ebony and gold castle under the gaze of those horrible, horrible white eyes…

"Ryou." Atemu wanted to reconcile. He looked imploringly into Ryou's eyes, begging for calm and understanding. "You can't deny _the__Master_ has a strong hold over you. It's not your fault and it's not fair but… Every time I think of Bakura I sense bad things, very bad things. Things I only think of when _He_ sends for you."

"No." Ryou stepped back. Poison everywhere, attacking him. "I can't listen to this, Atemu."

Ryou turned to leave but Atemu's voice stopped him.

"I don't want him to hurt you, Ryou. I don't want you to _want_ to be around people who hurt you," Atemu stated.

Ryou wasn't moving, his feet were firmly planted to the floor yet he felt like he was sinking, sinking back down and it wasn't pleasant.

"One more thing, please," requested Atemu. Ryou could not find words so he nodded. "How _did_ you find out about Yugi and me?"

More thinking, Ryou's head was spinning very badly. His tongue had to fumble for words. "I just… knew…"

There was a grave pause. "Did you see it in my mind?"

Ryou hesitated and then shrugged. "I just knew… somehow I… When I look into people's eyes, I know things. I know the answer."

Atemu's voice was shaky. "How long has this been happening?"

Ryou didn't want to answer. "Since my last visit with _Him_."

…)(-)-(Reverberation)-(-)(…

"I can't _believe_ you!" Yugi screamed. He was rapidly pacing up and down the tiny room. "What were you _thinking_? How could you just _attack_ Atemu like that? And drawing attention to us _again_!"

Bakura slouched gloomily on his cot, holding a cold pack to his impressive black eye. "Do you have to yell so loud?" he complained.

"First Kaiba and now with _Atemu_, in front of the school! You can't just let things go, can you? Everything has to be so freaking _dramatic_!" Yugi ranted distractedly, walking up and down and up and down the room.

"He started it," Bakura grumbled moodily.

Yugi spun to face him, face flushed pink with stress. "What are you? _Four_?"

"Four thousand," Bakura corrected shrewdly. Yugi was not amused.

"You should know better than this. We have responsibilities, loyalties. For _Heaven's_ sake, we're _freaking_-" Yugi stopped himself from screaming the last word, forcing a breath down into his lungs before lowering his voice. "Higher Beings cannot go around pummeling _humans_. You could have seriously hurt Atemu. One careless slip on your control of your powers and you could have wiped out that entire gym!"

Bakura rolled his eyes. "I'm not _stupid_. The guy was out of line and I just wanted to smack him around a little. Harmlessly, I swear."

"_Harmless_? You bloodied half of his face!"

"So? You can do stuff with the other half, can't you?"

At this, Yugi's complexion instantly glowed crimson. "_B-Bakura_!" he squeaked, purple eyes bulging. "_That_ is definitely _none_ of your business."

"Yeah, yeah," Bakura scoffed uselessly. "So are you going to heal me? I'm no expert but I don't think human skin is supposed to swell like this."

Yugi shook his head. "Normally I would but since you attacked Atemu in public, well, if you magically get better that's not exactly good for our cover, is it?"

Bakura scowled. "So… you're going to let me suffer?"

"Your human skin will eventually heal on its own."

"Yeah, _eventually_," Bakura snapped spitefully.

"It's your own fault," Yugi pointed out fairly. "And it could have been a lot worse. You could have started bleeding. Then we would have had a real complication on our hands. You know what _our_ blood can do…"

"Yeah, yeah," Bakura growled unkindly. He filled up the next block of awkward silence by recalling how satisfying it had been to punch that guy. But his string of repetitive vengeful thoughts was interrupted by Yugi taking a seat next to him on the cot, face uncommonly forlorn.

"Bakura… what is Atemu and Ryou's relationship exactly?"

Bakura frowned with distaste. Why did they have to get into this subject _again_? "If you ask Ryou he'll say their '_best friends_'," he explained, drenching his words with malice.

"Yeah but…" Yugi hesitated. His face tightened as though he was swallowing something painful. "Those things that you said…"

Bakura shrugged reluctantly. "I was just pissing him off."

Yugi looked hopeful. "Yeah?"

"Not that there's not some truth in it," Bakura added nastily. Yugi made a noise that might have been a reply but he was too distracted to form it into coherent words. "The guy's a bitch. Go find someone else, preferably someone immortal."

"Sorry, it will take more than that for me to give up on him," said Yugi smartly.

"Even though he's a lecherous bastard?"

The pink tinge in Yugi's cheeks brightened again. "He's not that. Atemu's a good person. He's kind, gentle, and actually cares about other people, unlike _you_," Yugi added mildly.

"If he's such a _godsend_ why are you here instead of pawing over his wondrous-ness?" Bakura commented reproachfully.

"'Cause I needed to lecture you."

"You're not worried that he's in that room _all alone_ with Ryou?" Bakura questioned slyly.

Yugi frowned. "No. I trust him." Bakura scoffed. "Why? Aren't you worried about Ryou?"

"Nah, it's totally one-sided," Bakura reassured simply.

Yugi gave him a look. "What if you're wrong? What if there really is nothing between them other than in the platonic sense?"

"Then why didn't he tell you about Ryou in the first place?"

"You knew and you didn't bother to inform me either."

"You never asked," Bakura retorted coolly, slouching backwards. "If Ryou was so important to his life and there was nothing like that between them why wouldn't he tell you?"

Yugi hesitated. He was nibbling on his bottom lip, thinking. Was Ryou _really_ that important to Atemu's life though? Yugi realized he had no idea. "He would have eventually. I know he would."

"Right," Bakura reply in a dry tone. "Would he also tell you that he and Ryou were living together?"

Now Yugi's face paled, mouth dropped open in disbelieving shock. "You're making that up."

"I assure you, dear _cousin_, I am not," Bakura mocked.

"You- He wouldn't… _How_ do _you_ know?" Yugi demanded, voice growing breathy with panicked.

"I visited Ryou when he was sick," Bakura explained off-handedly. "Atemu was groveling after him the whole time. It was embarrassing."

Yugi had begun to pace again, feet shuffling nervously on the tile floor. He was worried, really freaked out worried. "I don't believe you," said Yugi as though trying to convince himself, not Bakura. "Atemu would have… he must have a good reason for not telling me."

"Sure he does," Bakura agreed, quite relaxed compared to his superior.

A polite knock alerted the two disguised angels of the presence of a third party. Then the door opened and a head draped in long fluffy white hair poked itself into the room.

"Hi," Ryou greeted, bringing the rest of his body along with him. Yugi gave the human a nod of recognition and stopped pacing. Bakura could feel his back instantly straightening. "I was wondering if you wanted to switch," suggested Ryou to Yugi. "If you don't mind."

"Oh, I don't," Yugi replied shortly. Bakura could hear the suppressed emotion in his voice. As the two passed each other through the doorway, Ryou gave Yugi a helpful smile and Yugi could barely manage another nod as he closed the door behind him.

"Is Yugi-kun alright?" Ryou asked concerned, glancing back at the door.

Bakura rolled his eyes tiredly. "Whatever." It was only now that Bakura realized that he was once again completely alone with Ryou in a confined space. He could already feel the familiar uncomfortable intensity prickling on the back of his neck.

"You look like shit," Ryou said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Bakura shrugged the ice pack further up his face. "No thanks to your comrade."

"You got him pretty bad too," Ryou pointed out. His mouth twitched as though about to offer a smile but hastily fought the impulse.

"Jerk deserved it," Bakura grunted. He winced; all this talking was making his face hurt.

Then Ryou was standing in front of him, barely a half a foot away. "Let me see."

Bakura hesitated then grudgingly removed the cold pack. He saw Ryou's pale face cringe ever so slightly as he caught sight of his injury.

"Wow, he really got you." Careful, Ryou's finger traced the bruise that was beginning to form around Bakura's left eye. "That'll be lots of pretty colors for at least two weeks."

"_Great_," Bakura moaned, once again cursing Yugi for not healing him.

On the bright side, Ryou was up nice and close. Ryou was nice to look at, as long as one avoided his creepy eyes.

"Are we-" Bakura stopped himself, trying desperately to make the rest of this sentence more dignified, "Are we _dating_?" he finished bluntly.

Ryou was still standing very close, but his warm brown eyes were focused on the front of Bakura's shirt, which was unfair because his shirt wasn't nearly as interesting as he was.

Ryou shifted his feet. "I told Atemu we were." His voice was very small.

"And are we?" Bakura questioned.

He wanted to hear Ryou say it, he wanted to make sure there was no area for misunderstanding. Bakura wasn't an idiot. That night at the café after the dance had been dangerous. The human was unstable. Ryou was afraid of something. But whether this problem was internal or from some outside source was beyond Bakura's knowledge. He would, however, have to keep a closer eye on Ryou from now on.

"I… I would like to, um, date you," Ryou admitted in the voice of guilty child. His was face completely hidden from Bakura's sight by a mess of his thick white bangs. "As long as you don't mind… as long as you know I can't stay."

Bakura wanted to touch him. His white hair. His clothes. His arms. Everything. The temptation was unbearable. When had this mortal become so irresistible to him?

"I'll take what I can get," the angel agreed.

"Bakura-kun, I…" An apology was on the way, Bakura could sense it. And he had no use for weak words.

So he grabbed Ryou by the skull, finger enlacing through that fluffy snow-hair.

Ryou's head tilted upwards, warm brown eyes swimming with some kind of emotion the angel was not familiar with. They penetrated Bakura's mind like before. "You're amazing," Ryou breathed, Bakura getting another face full of that delectable scent.

"Oh, I'm _something_ alright," Bakura growled, rolling his eyes.

This was it. Ryou was his. He could do whatever he wanted with the human now.

Bakura understood. He knew why he wanted to snatch Ryou up and touch his hair and hold him tighter and tighter…

He knew that holding Ryou wasn't really what he wanted to do to the human.

The disgusting image of human animal mating was plastered against his brain. He had seen humans do that before. On TV. In movies.

And he- his _human_ body wanted _that_. He wanted to do that to Ryou. A lot. His mortality burned for it, overwhelmingly so.

'Fuck,' Bakura cursed at himself.

The human had pale lips. Fragile-looking.

Ryou seemed to come to a similar train of thought cause he took a timid step forward, leaning into Bakura.

That's when little sirens went off in Bakura's brain. His golden wings flexed beneath the surface of his human skin. And there went that thousands of lifetimes thing again. The urge, the want of Ryou was much stronger than Bakura had imagined. Instantly, the angel was grasped by a desire so potent that he _had_ to smother the poor human with kisses.

He didn't have a choice. His mortal body wasn't going to allow anything less.

Then his angelic core caught up with his brain, and disgust and sickness for his human shell consumed him. He felt not the need to touch Ryou but to shove him away, like Malik.

But Ryou _wasn't_ Malik.

Only one choice left then, to run. Get the fucking hell out of that room.

Bakura stood up and barked at the human, "Let's go," before shoving Ryou aside, and going for the door.

"Wh-where are we going?" the pale human stumbled, obviously baffled.

"To pry Atemu off of Yugi," Bakura growled and marched out of the nurse' room.

He didn't look to see if Ryou was hurt. Or following him. He was too disgusted in his own self to acknowledge what he had left behind in that room.

…)(-)-(Reverberation)-(-)(…

Yugi had every intention of fixing Atemu with a fierce stare before bombarding him with questions, but the moment that door opened and he saw the large square of white cloth across his love's nose, Yugi's anger evaporated. Instead of suspicion, tears began to fill Yugi's eyes.

"Oh Atemu-kun," Yugi moaned and he rushed up to the other's side. His hands floated around his lover's head, caught between not wanting to touch Atemu and make matters worse, and wanting to do anything in his power to heal the other. Yugi had to keep his powers physically in check; he didn't want them to jump out without warning like the last time Atemu was injured.

"I'm alright. Really it's not as bad as it looks," Atemu promised, gently holding down both of Yugi's frantic hands. "It'll heal," he spoke in a soft calming tone.

"But- but your face!" Yugi cried, tears swimming in his eyes. "Bakura ruined your beautiful face!"

Atemu chuckled. "It's alright. I'm fine."

Yugi could feel his face grow warm under Atemu's gaze. "But _still_. He should have known better! Oh Atemu-kun, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," Atemu insisted. He lifted a hand and lightly brushed Yugi's golden bangs. Yugi smiled despite himself as Atemu's warm fingers rubbed the skin across Yugi's check bone soothingly.

It was nice. Whenever they were alone together, it was nice. Atemu was so nice… and then Yugi remembered what he had come to the room to talk about. Suddenly he felt much more embarrassed for ruining their perfect moment than angry.

"Atemu-kun…" Yugi began seriously. He took both of Atemu's hands in his and lowered his eyes. "What is you relationship with Ryou?"

There was a pause. Yugi heard Atemu let out a long slow breath, shifting in his seat. "It's complicated."

Yugi tried to swallow the bad thick feeling that had formed in the back of his mouth but couldn't. "How so?"

Atemu must have heard the pain in his voice because he suddenly grabbed Yugi's shoulders. "No, no, it's nothing like that, Yugi. Nothing like you, I swear."

Yugi looked into Atemu's dazzling red eyes and had no choice but to believe him.

"But then… why didn't you tell me about Ryou?"

Atemu hesitated. "Come here," he beckoned and brought Yugi around to sit on the cot next to him. His strong arms wrapped around Yugi's waist. "I've known Ryou a very long time, longer than anyone else. We sort of take care of each other. He is very important to me. But, Ryou's… not well."

Yugi was very concerned. "What do you mean?" The names of millions of human diseases, illnesses, and cancers danced around in Yugi's brain.

Atemu hesitated again. "Don't tell anyone, not even Bakura." Yugi nodded loyally. "Ryou has this… condition. I can't you give any details, but, I guess that's why I'm so protective of him. I didn't tell you about him because… well, I do feel guilty for having something in my life that isn't related to Ryou. You make me feel wonderful and knowing that I'm happy when Ryou suffers…"

"But you can't think like that," said Yugi, clutching Atemu's arm to his chest. "You deserve happiness just as much as anyone else."

Atemu grinned. "I know but… I've been taking care of him for so long it's just natural for me to look out for him all the time."

"That's why you don't like Bakura?" Yugi asked. "You're afraid for Ryou's sake?"

Atemu's face immediately darkened. "That's… part of it."

"But Bakura won't hurt Ryou! Bakura really cares for him, I know he does! I've been with Bakura a long time too and I've never seen him like this with anyone else. Ryou's really good for him," Yugi explained. "Bakura will protect Ryou too."

Atemu wasn't looking at Yugi but he nodded his head all the same. "I'm sure he would." His voice was stiff. Yugi was worried that Atemu didn't believe him but he pressure him. The subject of Bakura had made suddenly everything uncomfortable and all Yugi wanted to do at that moment was forget all about him.

"Atemu-kun…" Yugi looked down at the floor. He felt like he had to get something off of his chest, out in the open to end this bad cycle. "You know at the dance when you… asked if there was anything between Bakura and me?"

Atemu's grip on Yugi's waist tightened. "Yes?"

"Bakura and I…" Yugi gulped, "When we first met I really liked him. He wasn't like anyone else. He was unique and interesting and… he helped me through things. But Bakura never had a thing for me, he never even thought of me that way. For a while I was convinced that he hated me. But Atemu-kun," Yugi stared directly into Atemu's eyes, "I gave up those feelings for Bakura long ago. We're just friends. And even if I did have any sort of feelings left for him, he's nothing compared you."

"Yugi…" Atemu tried.

"I mean it," Yugi dug his face into Atemu's shoulder. He wanted to drown himself in Atemu. "You're incredible, too good to be true. Sometimes… I can't believe I got this lucky. Being with you makes me _so_ happy."

Atemu's arms tightened around Yugi, pulling him so close he almost toppled onto his lap. "I feel the exact same way." Yugi lifted his face from Atemu's shoulder.

"Good." And just to prove that what had happened at the dance hadn't been a fluke, that they really did feel that way for each other, Yugi leaned up, mouth slightly open and searching.

The perfect moment was broken however when Atemu's finger landed on Yugi's lips.

"Split lip, remember?" Atemu said kindly, pointing to the band-aid on his lip.

"Damn." Yugi smiled sheepishly, "I forgot."

"It's alright," Atemu purred in Yugi's ear. "We'll have plenty of time for that later…"

Yugi planted a kiss on Atemu's cheek in answer. He had a dark feeling that Bakura had punched Atemu in the mouth on purpose.

* * *

…)(-)-(Reverberation)-(-)(…

* * *

Heehee. I like this chapter. Teehee. So many amazing things happen in it. 

I've give you a little hint. We're getting into the really cool part of the story. I'm super excited. Its taken a bit to get here… hopefully everyone is still enjoying the ride. WOOO! I am! Though, to be truthful I haven't actually finished this story. I sorta wrote the climax and then stopped. It only had one chapter to go anyway!!!

NEXT CHAPTER!!! Jounouchi goes where no human- or angel or demon- has ventured before. DUN DUN DUN: Into the liar of Kaiba Seto!! What strange sites will he see? Yugi's trying so hard to study! And Atemu is trying so hard to distract him…

**REVIEW!!!**

THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!! Seriously.

**REVIEW!!! **


	15. Frustration

So I haven't been totally up to date. SO I decided to make up to you wonderful people.

Unfortunately I don't have the energy to write a clever and witty opening piece. I'm sure you'll all forgive me.

READ… please?

**

* * *

Chyaputa 15: Frustration**

1. the feeling that accompanies an experience of being thwarted in attaining your goals

2. an act of hindering someone's plans or efforts

3. a feeling of annoyance at being hindered or criticized

4. friction

* * *

The place was just as repulsive as Jounouchi remembered. Six stories high, with fancy rafters and pillars covering every inch of the structure in the center of a large sweeping green lawn. And, of course, surrounded by a twelve-foot high security gate, with rotating security cameras and, what looked like, electric wiring on the top.

But Jounouchi's plans were far less desperate than the last time he stood before this egotistical black gate. Now all he wanted was to drop off the package of homework and leave as soon as possible.

He rang the part-door-buzzer-part-intercom outside the gate and waited for a response.

It would probably be rude for him to just leave the package there at the gate. He was already here, the least he could do would be to bring the package a little closer to the front door or give the thing to one of the bastard's servants or something. There was no reason why Jounouchi had to give it _directly_ to Kaiba. The bastard didn't want to see him anyway. He certainly had been ignoring Jounouchi's presence ever since their row in Kaiba's office.

Jounouchi punched the buzzer three more times.

'Stupid fence. Stupid fucking Kaiba and his stupid fence,' Jounouchi cursed.

The bastard hadn't shown up for school in two weeks, which was a relief for Jounouchi. He wished Kaiba would just quit school. What did the guy need an education for anyway? He already owned a multi billion-dollar company and half the fucking city!

Finally the intercom crackled into life. "Kaiba estate," a rough unisex voice stated.

"I got a package for-" Jounouchi had to hold back the couple of words he would rather use, "Kaiba."

"Name?" the intercom asked.

Jounouchi thought he had been pretty clear. "Um, Kaiba. Seto Kaiba?"

"_Your_ name, sir?" the intercom corrected drolly.

"Ah." Jounouchi discharged some gunk from his throat. "Jounouchi. Ah, look, do you mind if I just leave the package here? I really don't need to come in, _really_."

"One moment," the box crackled.

Jounouchi's irritation grew. What was so freaking hard to understand? Did Kaiba hired idiots on purpose? "Yo, did you hear me? Hello? I said you don't need to let me in. I can just leave…" But he was interrupted as the black gate swung soundlessly open. Jounouchi punched the intercom again. "_Really_, I'm _fine_ with just staying out here. I'll just-"

"A servant will meet you at the door," the voice stated and then fizzed out.

Jounouchi groaned. He didn't even _want_ to see Kaiba this time! Where was all this leniency the last time he was here, when he had waited for three hours outside the gate before somebody would even talk to him?

"Fuck Kaiba," Jounouchi grumbled as he made his way down the fancy slate path to the front door. "Fuck Kaiba, fuck Kaiba's stupid box, fuck Kaiba's stupid house, fuck Kaiba's fucking service, fuck-"

Walking up the long path up to the door, Jounouchi decided it would be best if he just left the package on Kaiba's front step and ran for it. But as soon as he approached the front door the thing opened and a maid was there to greet him.

"Kaiba-sama is expecting you in the dining room," the lady explained, taking off Jounouchi's coat for him, practically by force, and hanging it by the door.

"This isn't necessary. I _really_ don't want to see him. If you could just give-" Then Jounouchi's brain froze as he processed the woman's last words. "Did you say _dining_ room?"

To his horror, the lady nodded.

Jounouchi followed the lady in a kind of numbing shock. His feet felt too big for the plush mahogany carpet. Why was Kaiba, who had thrown him out on his last visit, forcing him in? And to the _dining_ room? What was the bastard going to do? Spear him with forks? Impale him with knives? Hurtle plates at him?

Or… perhaps Kaiba had seen the error of his ways and was inviting Jounouchi to a nice romantic candle lit dinner?

'Yes,' thought Jounouchi savagely. 'And magical, gold-pissing pigs will fly out of my ass.'

The maid opened a heavy wooden door for him, and beyond laid an extravagant, pompous room. And every inch of the elegant dining table was covered with trays upon trays of steaming, expensive, and what looked like extremely delicious, food.

Jounouchi's mouth and eyes water at the beauty of it.

However Kaiba, the host of the hour, was nowhere to be seen. All the chairs at the table were empty. This puzzlement, and of course Jounouchi's dislike of the bastard, was the only thing keeping him from launching himself at that buffet of tasty delights.

Then the heavy door shut with a snap, locking Jounouchi in.

And someone laughed, impishly. Jounouchi couldn't tell from where.

_That_ creeped him out! But Kaiba wouldn't do this. It wasn't his style. The maid was gone. He was now alone in the room. Or at least… he thought he was.

There. At the head of the table, was a kid.

"Ah…" Jounouchi hesitated. "Hello?" he offered uneasily.

'Fuckass. Where the hell did he come from? He wasn't there before,' Jounouchi told himself.

The kid was maybe twelve years old. He had strikingly messy, long, black hair and a pair of steely gray eyes.

The kid eyed him with scrupulous intent. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Jounouchi frowned. The kid had an attitude. "I should be asking you that, _kid_. How the hell do you get away with acting like you own the place, huh?"

The kid shrugged one shoulder. "Maybe I do." Again, annoyance flared up in Jounouchi's brain. "So who are you?"

Jounouchi didn't get it. Hadn't the maid said _Kaiba_ wanted to see him? "I'm Jounouchi, not that it's any of _your_ business," he added darkly. "And I'm here to see Kaiba, you know, _Kaiba,_ the bastard that owns this house. Freakishly tall, brown hair…"

'Girly hands, gorgeous blue eyes,' he added silently, then fiercely noted to hit himself later.

"Attitude like he's got a giant stick up his…" Jounouchi paused, eyeing the kid, "Butt," he finished lamely.

"Yeah, I know him," the kid stated obviously, with a bored sigh. "But nii-sama isn't home right now." He walked around the corner of the luxurious table a sat down across from Jounouchi, dragging a dish load of chicken legs toward himself.

Something in Jounouchi's brain clicked… paused, then clicked again. "Did- did you say '_nii-sama_'? As in… _brother_?" His human ears must not be working properly. Kaiba, bastard fucking Kaiba, had a kid brother!? That was…. Jounouchi couldn't even think of it.

The kid took an enormous bite out of the dead bird in his hands, practically ripping the thing in half, then impressively swallowing the meat whole. "Yeah. So what's this?"

The kid was holding up the folder in his chicken grease covered fingers.

"What the-" Jounouchi looked, but the package was definitely not in his hands anymore. "How the- ? When did you- Hey!"

The kid ripped the folder open, examining its contents.

Jounouchi tried to snatch the thing out of the brat's hands but the kid pulled it out of his reach with.. . "_That_ is not yours!" Jounouchi growled, taking another swiping at the homework and failing.

The kid, ignoring him, inspected the papers with sharp eyes. Then he scoffed and tossed the pages behind him. "Bor-_ing_. Nii-sama doesn't need this."

"Like hell! That was his homework for _school_," Jounouchi stressed, crouching down on the floor and picking up the pages. "He could fail if he doesn't have this."

The brat pulled a plate of steaming dumplings closer and stuck a fork in one of them. "Do you care?"

The question struck a cord. Jounouchi realized what he was doing and immediately stood up, dropping the papers back on the floor.

"_No_," Jounouchi answered fiercely. He, Jounouchi? Care about Kaiba? No. _Never_. No way. Not a chance in the whole fucking Kingdom of Hell. Bastard could pick up his own fucking homework. Jounouchi had done his job. The bastard's little brother could rip the assignment apart when he left. Jounouchi didn't care.

A dumpling paused on the way to the kid's mouth. Then he grinned. "I like you."

"Glad I have the appreciation of a ten-year-old," Jounouchi grumbled.

The kid laughed, then stuck the dumpling in his mouth. He certainly had some of Kaiba's egotistical confidence, but for some reason, Jounouchi found that he liked him. The brat was spunky, and he could take a freaking joke, unlike his bastard older brother.

The kid chewed with his mouth open and Jounouchi watched the juices roll down the kid's chin. The demon's stomach rumbled like thunder. He hadn't eaten in several hours.

"You hungry?" the kid asked, sticking his fork in another dumpling.

"_No_." Jounouchi's stomach growled like a fucking irritable lion or something. This fucking body just never freaking cooperated, did it?

The kid grinned, a mischievous smirk. "I bet I can eat more dishes than you can."

The kid was challenging him. More importantly the kid was offering him _food_. Fucking good food from the looks of it. He had never admitted it, but Jounouchi loved the act of eating. Higher Beings didn't eat since they had no body to maintain. But when Jounouchi was in human form he had always enjoyed stuffing his gut with delectable dishes till he felt nauseous. And never before had he seen such… mouth-watering dishes as these.

Still this was Kaiba's house… it might be a trap…

'Ah screw precautions,' Jounouchi leaped at the nearest chair and snatched up his chopsticks. If he was going to die, he would at least die happy.

"Not a fucking chance you can out eat me," Jounouchi taunted. And the two of them dove in.

…)(-)-(Frustration)-(-)(…

Kaiba was in a seething rage when he stormed into his human world home that afternoon. The maids and servants dispersed at the very sound of his approach.

His charge could be anywhere right now; he probably didn't even know where Kaiba was stationed in the human realm. The kid might even be on another freaking _continent_ looking for him.

On his way to his office, Kaiba passed his butler. "I'll be up in my office for the rest of the day. Do _not_ disturb me under _any_ circumstances," he threatened.

"But, sir," the butler protested, in absolute terror of his employer. "Your brother, sir. He is in the dining room waiting for you, sir."

Kaiba storming feet came to an abrupt halt. He spun around. "_What_?"

"Yes, sir. He arrived just a few hours ago-"

Without letting him finish, Kaiba swept past the blubbering man, back across the front hall and flung the woodened doors open.

The sight, to say the least, disturbed him.

The dining table was covered in around thirty, half-eaten, food courses. Scraps, crumbs, sauces, and the occasional bone of some animal were scattered not only on the table but all over and the floor, even a couple of the sticker messes had splattered onto the walls.

At the table was, because Kaiba's day _could not_ get _any_ better, the blonde, honey-eyed idiot and a child. The two were both face down in their corresponding dishes, the idiot's nose almost touching the plate as he gobbled up spaghetti.

Both of the eaters looked up at Kaiba harsh entrance.

The idiot sat there for a couple seconds, looking stupid and guilty. Tomato sauce plastered ridiculously around his greedy mouth, which opened about to say something…

"Nii-sama!" A body hit Kaiba in the stomach. It was the child, arms locked around Kaiba's waist in a hug. The boy's head only came up to Kaiba's diaphragm and his mouth, which had been covered in food juices, left a stain on Kaiba's shirt. "I found you, nii-sama! You didn't think I could do it, did you?" he accused.

Although Kaiba didn't recognize the human, he knew who it must be. There was only one being who called him brother, and could get away with hugging him.

Kaiba's anger reluctantly sizzled and then softened to an annoyed scowl.

"You're not supposed to be here, Mokuba." Kaiba's eyes darted to the idiot for a second before adding. "The professors at the boarding school will be disappointed in you." He gave the child a warning look to take the hint.

Thankfully the child got it. "I _know_ but that place is so _boring_ and I hadn't heard from you in such a long time. I didn't want you to forget about me," Mokuba answered knowledgably, finally removing his arms from around Kaiba so his "brother" could examine him properly.

"I've been busy," Kaiba responded.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what you always say," Mokuba mumbled, going back to the table and sitting down again. "Want a bite? We're having an eating contest and I'm winning."

"Like Hell you are, shrimp!" the idiot interjected.

Kaiba's glare switched over to the idiot, growing in ferocity. The idiot had at least had the sense to wipe his face of all food residues while Kaiba and his brother had been talking.

"And just how long have you been here consuming my resources, idiot?" Kaiba snapped coldly.

The idiot looked caught in a trap again. "I, ah, well, I was-" he stumbled foolishly looking for words, or for a believable excuse. "Look, it wasn't _my_ idea. You were the one who decided to take a freaking mental health week or whatever and blow off school. Kiroi-sensei just had to send you an assignment or review packet or whatever and then fucking blackmailed me to get it to you, ok? 'Cause I'm apparently the _only_ person in the _whole_ school who knows where you live."

Kaiba smirked. "Good job, idiot. That excuse even sounds plausible."

The idiot flared up again. "I didn't fucking have to come, you know. I could have let her fail you, but I didn't. Your frozen-ass attitude can't even manage a simple 'thank you', can it?"

"But you didn't let me fail. Your loss. I will thank you by not making you pay for the cleaning of this room."

The idiot's hands were in fists at his side; no doubt the brutish idiot would have loved to land one of them in Kaiba's face.

"I'm glad to see nii-sama made a friend," Mokuba commented with pleasure.

"We're _not_ friends," Kaiba and Jounouchi claimed at the exact same time.

Mokuba grinned. "Whatever you say."

"This idiot and I are mere acquaintances," Kaiba explained.

"If you can call it that," the idiot added coolly.

"Precisely. We just happen to share some classes, that is all. Otherwise we would certainly never associate with each other."

"Right, cause there's no room in his fucking cold heart to care a drop for anyone but himself," the idiot snarled nastily.

Kaiba scowled again. He was reminded why he thoroughly despised this vulgar animal. "Quite true. Now that we have come to an agreement, you can leave."

"Don't fucking try to stop me," the idiot spat and marched toward the door.

Mokuba looked disappointed, although Kaiba could not fathom why. The idiot needed to leave. It was a matter of security now, the blond had seen too much and would, undoubtedly, tell everyone and anyone he associated with about Kaiba's charge…

The Tainted angel remembered. Yugi was one of the idiot's friends.

A disturbing thought twitched into life in Kaiba's mind. If Yugi found out about Mokuba there might be awkward questions…

The idiot was already out in the hall, Kaiba could hear him grumbling darkly to himself. Controlled distress turned Kaiba around and he swung the door to the front hall open once again.

"Jounouchi." The name was out of his mouth before he could restrain it.

It did the trick however. Jounouchi stopped, however resisted turning around. Kaiba could not see the blonde's amber eyes, only his solitary back. There was a tense pause. It was torturous.

"Do not mention Mokuba to anyone." He could not make this sound like an order; that would make Jounouchi angry and he could not afford to cause any more tension between them, not with a subject as delicate as this. Kaiba had no guarantee that the idiot would even comply to his request.

There was a noise, a mix between a laugh and a choke. "Fuck, Kaiba," said Jounouchi. "Is this one of your secrets?"

He did not look back; he didn't even bother to wait for Kaiba's answer. The idiot simply left.

Kaiba allowed himself one swallow, staring at that closed door, before turning back into the dining room where Mokuba was still munching.

"Does he come around often?"

"No," said Kaiba truthfully.

Mokuba shrugged. "Too bad. He was fun."

Kaiba frowned. "What makes you think you will be here long enough to see him again?"

The child gave his guardian a well-practiced pout. "Come on, I've already come all the way here. You have to let me stay, nii-sama."

"I am on a dangerous mission, Mokuba. I will not allow you to be caught in the middle. Besides, you have no practice of the condition and pressures of the human world. You can barely maintain that human skin on for another five minutes."

Mokuba sighed exasperatingly and released his human form. The messy black hair and the silver eyes remained, but black claws grew on his hands and feet, as well as black horns on his head.

A pair of leathery, black, demon wings ripped through his T-shirt and stretched out into the air.

"I'm always hiding. You always send me off to boring places where no one can find me."

"There is a reason for that," Kaiba stated rigidly. "To stay in the human world you must be discreet and you do not have the proper training to conceal your power nor knowledge of human realm culture. Without that you will most certainly be found by a Higher Being sooner or later."

"You could teach me," Mokuba countered stubbornly, wings flapped and whipped the brown hair around Kaiba's head.

"Mokuba," Kaiba stated, his voice was getting more stressed. This was tiring. All the trouble Kaiba had gone through today to find him, plus _Jounouchi_ being in his house, he could not play games anymore. "You can not stay here. You are safer back at home."

Mokuba's look crumpled grumpily. "Yeah. Fine." Then his expression brightened with a new hope. "Can I just stay for a _little_ while? A month?" Kaiba frowned. "Two weeks? One week? Come on, nii-sama!"

Kaiba's stony expression held for a few more seconds then Mokuba gave him another pitiful big-eyed look.

"Three days, no more," Kaiba growled.

Mokuba was ecstatic. "Thanks, nii-sama!" He jumped up out of the chair and rocketed upward and nearly crashed into the ceiling. Wings flying out to steady himself, nicked the chandler and knocked it from its hook, sending it crashing to the already ruined carpet floor. "Oops."

Kaiba inhaled. "Three days, _if_ you can stay in the human skin."

He knew he was going to regret this. He also knew he'd have to deal Jounouchi again. But that was later. Now… Mokuba was happy.

…)(-)-(Frustration)-(-)(…

"So, 'x' equals… 7?" Yugi questioned lightly.

Atemu gave a dramatic sigh. "No, 13. Here, let me show you…" He took Yugi's small, creamy hand gently in his golden one and drifted the pencil over the problem. "See? It's positive 3, not negative."

Yugi pouted. "But I don't like thirteen, it's such a… _ugly_ number." He was leaning into Atemu's hold, enjoying the other's body temperature.

"You can't change the problem, Yugi," Atemu teased, tapping Yugi sweetly on the tip of his nose.

Yugi placed his chin on Atemu's shoulder, bringing their faces very close together. "Why not? 13 is so… _uncooperative_," Yugi cooed with a cute smile.

Atemu tucked an arm around Yugi's back, grinning. "We'll just have to a find a problem you like better then…" Yugi giggled.

"I'm _still_ here, in case you two forgot," Bakura growled loudly, strewn across the opposite armchair.

Atemu rotated his head around to give the intruder a dry look. "Believe me, we didn't."

Bakura slouched lower in his seat, arms crossed and chin jutting out in his misery. This was like some fucking torture session. What had happened so that his math grade depended on these two spending so much _personal_ time together? They didn't care that Bakura was three feet away, Yugi and Atemu just carried on flirting and giggling and teasing each other. Bakura wanted to hurl.

"And why couldn't Ryou come?" Bakura spat, glaring at Atemu. The jerk had obviously planned this.

"We're studying, Bakura-kun. Ryou-kun is in a different math level than we are so it wouldn't make any sense if he came," Yugi explained reasonably.

'Yeah, except to shield me from you two's love fest,' Bakura cursed but all that came out as another series of dark grumblings.

"Let's try a different problem," Yugi suggested, head leaving Atemu's shoulder to look over the Algebra II textbook. "Ok, so if its x(4x2 5x – 34) 0… what's the first thing you do, Bakura-kun?"

"Burn the text book," Bakura answered grumpily. Yugi gave Bakura a look which the other promptly shrugged off.

"I don't think that will help you during the exam," Atemu noted. Yugi giggled again and grabbed Atemu's hand.

Bakura scowled. Why the hell was Yugi even laughing so much? Atemu wasn't even funny!

"Obviously," Atemu continued, "You automatically know that one of x's solutions is zero, because anything multiplied by zero is-"

"Yes, we _know_," Bakura growled.

Atemu frowned. "Well, if you knew you should have said so before hand, not waste productive time with unhelpful comments," he retorted coolly.

"Like stuffing your hand down Yugi's pants is productive," Bakura snarled.

Yugi's ears burned flaming red. "_Bakura_!"

"What the hell am I supposed to do, sit here and fucking _watch_?"

"You could at least try to be more _respectful_!" Yugi squeaked, cheeks flushed.

"Respectful? You're crawling all over each other!" Bakura chewed.

Color continued to flood into Yugi's face. "If you don't like it then don't look," he stated.

"You're doing it in front of me!" Bakura cried outrageously.

"We're not doing anything! You're overreacting."

"Whatever!" Bakura spat, stood and leapt from his chair.

"Where are you going, Bakura?" Yugi questioned.

Bakura shot a glare over his shoulder. "I'm getting something to drink. Is that _ok_ with you?" And then, cursing darkly all the way, he charged out of the room, through the hall, and down the stairs.

Yugi's human grandpa was minding the store; Bakura avoided his eyes by circling around a couple of shelves while the old decaying human was with a costumer.

The drinks were in the refrigerator, but Bakura hadn't come for that. He knew he was playing right into Atemu's filthy plans; Yugi and his mortal consort were undoubtedly doing repulsive human things on that couch right now. It was sickening, and infuriating!

Then Ryou's face came to the angel's mind. Bakura's stomach gut squeezed.

He hadn't done anything with Ryou. So far the only physical contact they had was when Ryou's knee when accidentally bump into his leg under the table, and even then Bakura's human body would react.

It was excruciating. His human body was an unbearable network of heat and _urges_ when he was around Ryou, watching him, examining the shape of his ear… They had held hands, once, briefly. But Yugi and Atemu were _always_ together, inseparable and disgusting.

Bakura wanted to do stuff to Ryou, wanted it so much that he couldn't. If he let himself go, if he let himself touch Ryou all over, was that… would that be _mating_? Could he avoid it? What did that entail? Bakura wasn't even sure what he was supposed to do. How he was supposed to… He had researched the action severely on the internet, but research only reminded him how repulsive humans truly were. Did he seriously want to _mate_ with Ryou? Could he risk it?

He had let himself go, once. At that café, after the dance, he had made a total fool of himself. The mechanics of kissing were much more complicated than they looked on TV. While he had walking Ryou home that night, he remembered wanting to pin the human up against a wall and then… he couldn't imagine anymore. He didn't know what came next and that infuriated him.

Bakura cursed, sufficiently disgusted with himself. So he snatched up a soda, snuck back through the shop and up the stairs.

When he reentered the living room, Yugi and Atemu both had their limbs flung around each other, sucking mouths locked onto the other.

Bakura stared for a second but once he saw, in a gap between their lips, Atemu extracting his tongue from Yugi's mouth, Bakura just lost it.

The can of soda dropped to the floor and bounced off the carpet. "_That's it_!" he shouted. Yugi and Atemu jumped apart. Bakura didn't miss how Yugi wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before speaking.

"Bakura-kun, I'm sorry! Wait! It won't happen again!" Yugi pleaded running after Bakura as he charged back down stairs. "Where are you going?"

Bakura grabbed his winter coat off the hook and stuffed his feet almost violently into his shoes. "_Out_! Away from your fucking love feast!"

Yugi's face was flushed. "Bakura-kun! I'm sorry!"

Bakura shoved the door open and launched himself outside into the bitter cold without another word. He didn't know whether Yugi was still standing at the door, watching him sprint down the sidewalk but he knew there was no chance Yugi would go after him, not while Atemu was upstairs in an empty room waiting for him.

Fire was burning in his brain as Bakura walked a block then turned the corner, the bus stop was very close. Once it came, there was only six stops until he reached Ryou's house.

…)(-)-(Frustration)-(-)(…

Atemu was indeed, sprawled out on the couch waiting for him when Yugi came back upstairs, expression slightly ashen.

"I can't believe he just ran off like that," Yugi moaned, falling back down on the couch next to Atemu.

"At least he's gone now, right?" Atemu commented, not fighting very hard to keep the smile off his face.

Yugi tried a frown, although it more resembled a pout. "You planned this, didn't you?" he asked, eyes full of suspicion.

"Why would I want Bakura to leave? What could I _possibly_ gain from that, hm?"

Yugi sighed. "Atemu-kun…"

Atemu sat up, wrapping his arms around Yugi's shoulders. "I'm sure he's fine. Where would he go anyway?"

Yugi shrugged. "Probably to your house."

"Exactly, see it'll be… fine…" Atemu stopped, his brain shot. A ripple of panic rushed through his system. Bakura was going to Ryou? Atemu could have slapped himself. Of course! How had he been so stupid?

Atemu was about to jump off the couch right then and run after Bakura but Yugi grabbed his arm. "Oh no, you're _not_ chasing after him," said Yugi, holding him down with a smile of his own. "May I remind you that you were the one who wanted Bakura to leave? Besides, I'm sure Ryou can take care of himself."

That didn't reassure Atemu; after all, he knew Ryou. Nonetheless he settled back down into his seat, with the knowledge that Jounouchi was also home and that at least should stop the two from doing anything too drastic.

Yugi picked up the math textbook and began flipping through the pages. "Let's try a problem from chapter seven."

"We're _actually_ studying?" Atemu drawled.

Yugi gave him a look. "Atemu-kun, we have an exam tomorrow! We can't just…" he gulped and looked back down at the school book, "Not right now, ok?"

"But Yugi…" Atemu moaned, moving in so that he was leaning up against Yugi's side. "We might never get a chance to be completely alone again…" He had his arms around Yugi and his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Don't you want to celebrate my newly healed lip? Come on, we can study later."

"Ok, this is an easy one. Graph, -2x2 8x - 9…" Yugi began, eyes fixed on the problem as he tapped the pencil against the corner of the book.

"Ok, ok. I get it. Fine, love," Atemu purposely let his lips brush Yugi's ear as he spoke. "Let's play a game," he challenged. "I bet you can't finish that problem without giving into me." Atemu could feel Yugi's muscles tense ever so slightly as though accepting.

"We know that the graph's y intercept will be at…" Atemu licked the edge of Yugi's ear. "Will be at, um… 9. Ah, _negative_ 9. Now x-intercepts…"

"You're so cute when you're trying to be responsible," Atemu purred, arms tightening as his nibbled on Yugi's ear lobe. Yugi leaned over the book writing out calculations, fiercely determined to focus on the task in front of him.

"Then we can use the… um, the quadra-" Atemu's mouth was working its way down Yugi's neck. Atemu distinctly heard his boyfriend's breathing hitch. "-tic form-ula to… get… negative four times two times neg-ah-tive nine… plus eight squared is a, ah, ah-negative number. So that means…"

'Damn,' Atemu cursed, 'He's close to finishing. Time to take this to the next step.'

He smirked and lifted one of his arms off Yugi's waist. Gaining confidence, Yugi spoke faster, jotting down a primitive sketch of the graph.

"Therefore we can assume that the graph doesn't touch the x-axis and the-"

Yugi's voice died in his throat as Atemu's hand sneaked onto Yugi's knee. It petted the joint for a moment and then ever so slowly slid one lone finger up Yugi's pant leg.

Yugi smacked the hand and trapped it there. "The graph therefore looks like-" He scribbled frantically at the paper but Atemu wasn't done yet. His fingers wriggled free from Yugi's hold just enough that they could reach underneath Yugi's knee and tickle him.

Yugi shrieked, practically jumping out of his seat. The pencil went flying out of his hands onto the floor. Yugi dove after it but Atemu, one arm still around his waist, redirected his path so that he was facing Atemu once again.

"You are very stubborn," Atemu commented wickedly, leaning further in. One of his hands slid up the back of Yugi's neck, fingers tangling in his hair.

"Atemu-kun," Yugi whined, eyes trying to see where his writing utensil had dropped in a last desperate attempt to get working again. "We shouldn't. The exam tomorrow…"

"Yes, I'm sure you'll never look at the quadratic formula the same way again." Their foreheads met, noses bumped.

Yugi released a small smile, which soon disappeared under Atemu's mouth. The room went very quiet, even the noises from downstairs in the store seemed to lessen. Nothing else seemed important. All motion and concentration was centered around their locked lips.

Atemu hummed cheerfully to himself.

Yugi's hands made their way up Atemu's sides, making his senses shiver, and came to rest on Atemu's shoulders. Lips melted together, kisses growing more adventurous. Atemu tugged Yugi closer, arm tightening around his waist as the other obliged all too willingly.

Somehow, Atemu wasn't sure if it was Yugi or himself that caused it, they started tipping down onto the couch. Their lips broke apart. Yugi ended up on his back, staring up at the ceiling, Atemu kneeling on the cushions beside him.

Yugi's eyes were shinning, beckoning him in a way that made Atemu's human body stir. "Come on." He guided Atemu gently forward by his shoulders.

"Yugi…" Atemu began. He laid down, across Yugi's chest, his head resting on Yugi's far shoulder. His fingers skated up Yugi's inner arm, up the soft skin to his hand, tickling his open palm. "Yugi, I think… I-" But his boyfriend shushed him and, taking Atemu's head carefully in his hands, pulled him up so their mouths could reach again. Atemu relaxed into more kisses.

The horizontal position was very interesting. It had been a long time since Atemu had experimented with one. Gravity was forcing Atemu's body down upon Yugi's, making it hard to pull away. Yugi's skin was already flushed pink and Atemu could hear his heart rate rising incredibly.

Yugi's mouth was laying rows of light kisses at Atemu's jaw line now. It felt wonderful. Atemu's hand crept under Yugi's shirt. Unprotected, untouched flesh passed under his fingertips as he examined Yugi's sensitive abdomen. Shifting positions, Atemu jerked down the neck of Yugi's shirt so that he could explore the area below Yugi's neck, leaving kisses on his chest. His hand continued to roam Yugi's stomach, running along the edge of Yugi's pants line.

Atemu's mind was spinning with human hormones. Rumbles of Yugi's pleasant humming were growing louder. Blood was rushing to all extremities.

Atemu knew what was happening and he knew what would happen if he continued. He would have stopped if he had felt even the slightest bit of resistance from his partner but he hadn't. Yugi wanted this as much as Atemu did.

Taking a chance, and almost hoping Yugi would reject, Atemu extracted his hand out from under Yugi's shirt. He caught sight of a pair of glowing purple eyes before both of his hands snaked down Yugi's hips. He stroked the area above Yugi's knees, nails catching on the pants fabric.

Yugi tucked his head under Atemu's chin, exhaling breath against Atemu's skin.

Atemu's hands stroked, each pass harder, going slightly further up. Yugi shuddered with anticipation, gripping Atemu's shirt. Atemu hands were massaging Yugi's thighs. Yugi was opening them for him.

"Ah-temu," Yugi moaned. Atemu's hands were shaking. His whole body was trembling. Atemu slipped his hands down, rubbing Yugi's innermost legs. "_Ah-_" Yugi's voice broke. And Atemu finally placed his hands on the hardened place between Yugi's thighs.

Yugi gasped.

Then it was over.

Atemu's head exploded. It hurt and the pain drove everything pleasurable from his mind. Atemu's hands left Yugi and gripped his own burning skull. Human feelings drowned in the flood of his aroused demonic presence.

'No…' Atemu pleaded in despair. 'Hell, not _now_…'

"Atemu? What's wrong?" Yugi's voice was scared. "Atemu?"

Pain bit at his bones, aches echoed deep into his very demonic being. His human disguise began shivering violently as his demon nature rejected it.

Then the worst part. Like he was being kicked in the back by a fucking three-ton horse, his wings, locked under layers of spells and human skin, bucked. Atemu grit his teeth to stop himself from crying out. He threw his back against the cushions of the couch, knowing fully that if his extra limbs did break free, the furniture could do nothing to stop them. His wings lashed out again, Atemu was straining ever last fiber of his will to stop them.

"Atemu-kun…" Cool arms around his neck, Yugi was moving down next to him. "What's wrong? Look at me."

Atemu's eyes were screwed up in concentration, trying to get his demon nature under control. No, Atemu couldn't let Yugi see. He couldn't open his eyes. If he did, he knew it wouldn't be his human skin that would be looking out. Yugi couldn't find out like this. Not now. Not ever.

Cool fingers were on his tense face. "Atemu, _please_…" Fear echoed through Yugi's tiny voice.

Atemu couldn't resist. He opened them.

Was it just him or did Yugi's skin look like it was glowing? No, maybe not. Not glowing… but illuminated by some inner light that made it look healthy, very healthy and strong. His purple eyes were shinning with the same incredible light, sparkling with restrained tears.

Yugi sniffed and wiped his shockingly marvelous eyes. "You scared me."

And Atemu, for some reason, felt his body immediately calm. "Hey…" He brushed the blonde bangs away from Yugi's beautiful face. "You alright?"

"Fine," Yugi said, with one last sniff and brushing the silver tears from his eyes. He pulled himself closer to Atemu, snuggling up against his chest. Atemu was all too happy to put his arms around him.

"Sorry," Atemu apologized. "I have a bad stomachache," he lied lamely.

Yugi actually chuckled sourly. Atemu shrugged and held him tighter. Both of them were too exhausted to care now.

This had been a bad idea, Atemu decided. At least he wouldn't regret later that he hadn't tried. There was a reason, after all, why no High Being half-breeds existed.

As he thought this, his keen eyes caught something brilliant over Yugi's shoulder on the floor. Atemu shifted his position as discreetly as possible and peered over the edge of the couch seat.

There, on the blue carpet, was a long pure white feather.

* * *

…)(-)-(Frustration)-(-)(…

* * *

WOAH!! Crazy!! And some yumminess in this chapter as well. That's almost as big of surprise as Mokuba showing up. WHO KNEW!?! Well, I did. Mwahaha. Yes, without Mokuba Kaiba is just a soulless block of stone with no feelings or redeeming qualities. Seriously. That's what I call a plot device.

Bakura is such a… loser. And Atemu is a stank! That little pervy. Aw well, he only has the hots for Yugi anyway.

You have no idea how long that "math" scene took to write. Because there was MATH in it, that's why! I hate math. I sleep through the classes and get good grades but I hate hate hate hate math sooooooooooooooooo much. It's the devil's work. It's Yami no Malik's work. Oh, shit… perhaps I shouldn't have said that… (I'm sure you all guessed already)

I really should finish writing this story. Seriously, it's been sitting in my computer, climax all nicely written. But you know there's, hopefully only, one chapter to go to wrap everything up. (shrug) Eh. I'll get to it when I want to.

Hope you enjoyed this little treat. Love you all.

**REVIEW!!**

Grateful bastards. Teehee. That's something Bakura would say.

**REVIEW!!!**


	16. Inflamation

Man, I am a loser. Seriously. SERIOUSLY!! You know what I've been doing that's been distracting me from this? Really? You want to know? I've been playing Kingdom Hearts. And then finishing it. And then starting Kingdom Hearts II. And it kind make me cry like a lot. Because I think I've started another obsession.

Is it that surprising though? May I remind you, Roxas? Roxas? ROXAS!!! (sobs) Other heart of Sora's heart? He doesn't even get to share the body! SERIOUSLY!! (sobs some more) I'm so depressed. I haven't finished the second one yet. So no one better spoil this for me or I'll kill you all.

Or worse I'll stop updating.

No…. I wouldn't do that.

Or would I? Hmmmmm….

Read. Cause either way Roxas is still awesome.

**

* * *

Chyaputa 16: Inflammation**

1. a response of body tissues to injury or irritation; characterized by pain and swelling and redness and heat

2. arousal to violent emotion

3. the act of setting something on fire

* * *

The fire was still alive and well in his mind when Bakura marched up to Ryou's apartment. He banged loudly on the door with his fist. There was no answer so he continued for five straight minutes. The door was finally opened by some blonde human Bakura had never seen before.

"Hey! What the hell-"

Without loosing any momentum, Bakura shoved the guy forcefully out of the way and charged into the apartment to the room at the end of the hall that he knew was Ryou's.

"Who do you think you are, _jackass_?" the human who had opened the door was chasing after him, flailing his arms in a threatening manner. "I'm talking to you, freak!"

But Bakura reached Ryou's bedroom and threw it open before the irritating blonde human could stop him.

Ryou was sitting cross-legged on his bed, surrounded by various open textbooks and piles of class notes and teacher handouts. He looked up, and his large brown eyes blinked. "Bakura-kun…"

And Bakura did the only thing he could think of. He hurtled himself over hard backed text books and research materials, grabbed some part of Ryou's head and did exactly what he had just seen Atemu do, stuck his tongue as far as he could into Ryou's mouth.

Many things happened. One, Ryou gagged and then choked, Bakura's actions catching him completely by surprise. Two, the blonde annoying human skidded into Ryou's bedroom, only to try to gape, cry out, and gaged all at the same time. Three, Bakura was painfully aware in that half a second that he yet again done something very stupid and very humiliating.

Ryou pushed Bakura back, gasping to get air back down his throat. The annoying blonde guy, being no help whatsoever, screamed at the top of his lungs, "What the FUCK is _going on_?"

Bakura got up off the bed as fast as his human skin could possibly move and tried to disappear out the way he had come. He made to the front door before someone grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Bakura, wait!" Ryou was done coughing up whatever damage Bakura had caused. "Don't go yet, _please_." He clung desperately to Bakura's right arm with both of his hands. Bakura turned, ready to rip out of Ryou's hold and tear out of there, but one glance at those big, pleading, brown eyes and Bakura couldn't bring himself to go.

"Ryou, what- who the_ fuck_ is he?" The blonde human was babbling, sputtering like a broken pipe.

"Jounouchi-kun, it's ok. This is Bakura," Ryou explained, trying to calm the other down. And then Ryou said the words that made Bakura's human heart spin. "He's my boyfriend."

'Shit,' Bakura realized suddenly, realization dawning on him. That was a title he had only heard on TV or when Yugi talked about Atemu. That phrase was so important, relevant to human culture. It was a different kind of bond, a _human_ bond. It was like suddenly Bakura was actually passing for one of their kind.

Meanwhile Bakura paid absolutely no attention as Ryou reasoned with the other human in the house. Voices were raised as questions and accusations flew, but Bakura didn't register one word of it.

"Like I'm going to stay in an enclosed space with you two going at it just a board of plywood away!" the blonde human spat.

"Jounouchi-kun," said Ryou, trying to input some calm reasoning into the discord. "Don't be like that."

But the other guy was already at the door, a jacket in his hand. "Have a great _fucking_ time!" he cried and then walked out and slammed the door behind him.

Ryou sighed, his grip on Bakura's elbow relaxed. "Sorry about that," he mumbled.

Bakura remained oblivious. "What?"

Ryou shrugged. "Never mind, it's not important." He let go of Bakura's arm and made his way back to his room. Bakura followed him.

"So… if I'm your boyfriend, are you my girlfriend?" Bakura questioned, stopping in the doorway to Ryou's room.

Ryou shook his head, picking up books and notes and stacking them on his desk. "Nope. Only girls can be girlfriends."

"But you're very girlie looking," Bakura pointed out fairly.

"But I'm not a girl."

"One of us has to be."

Ryou blinked, pausing in his cleaning to look confused. "Why?"

"That's the way it works," Bakura explained knowledgably.

Ryou thought about this for a moment. "But we're both guys. … Why can't we both be boyfriends?"

Bakura frowned, scratching his scalp. "I don't think that's possible."

The room was finally cleaned of most of its clutter. Ryou fell down on the mountains of pillows piled high on his bed.

His brown eyes connected with Bakura's at once. It shook Bakura's nerves.

"You can come here and sit down, you know," Ryou suggested slowly, patting the bed covers.

Bakura's head…did human things, trying to fight his arising urges. Ryou's room was a dangerous place. If he stay exactly where he was, he'd be safe. Nothing bad could happen to him if he continued to clutch to the doorway.

"I'm good," he insisted shortly.

It didn't take long for awkwardness to fill the entire apartment. Bakura felt it like needles.

But the human would not rest. "What's wrong?" Bakura flinched as he heard Ryou had move off the bed and approach him. "Do you feel alright?"

Bakura took an unconscious jerky step back. He didn't know what he was doing. He wanted to stay, fuck, he wanted Ryou, fuck. His desires were bordering on pathetic. Would he become dependent on Ryou? Surviving on his human rushes?

"Oh." It hurt to hear Ryou sound like that, disappointed.

"Sorry," Bakura grumbled. But he couldn't make himself leave then. Anxiety pounded in his brain, swirling his thoughts making everything confusing. He had to stop imagining Ryou doing stuff, walking, eating, sleeping…

Bakura lifted his gaze and found Ryou's eyes right in front of him, trapping his.

And the guy really was fantastic because he leaned upwards and told Bakura quite plainly. "I know what you want to do to me."

It was as if Ryou had read his mind.

There was a hand on Bakura's neck as Ryou whispered into his ear, "I'm ok with that."

But it wasn't Ryou who Bakura was worried about.

"Here." The human's voice was soft and tantalizing. He took Bakura by the hand and led him into the room. Bakura's stomach jumped in all eight directions, trying as hard as it could to reject the happiness that wanted to escape.

Weak words dropped out of Bakura's mouth before he could stop them. "Ryou-" he resisted as he watched the bed draw closer. Ryou put a finger to his lips, god his _lips_, to shush him. Then he lowered himself onto the bed and dragged Bakura through the thick air with him.

Bakura landed on the sheets beside Ryou. Their legs were touching, Ryou had Bakura's arm in his possession, crossed and lying next to his own.

"It's not so hard, once you get used to it," Ryou spoke, fingers petting the length of Bakura's thumb. "You don't think about it, you just… do it."

Bakura couldn't breathe. They were actually going to do something. Ryou's ears, Ryou's jaw, Ryou's pale fingers tightening like snakes when they captured their prey. And Bakura was caught good…

"We could… try. If you want," Ryou suggested.

His angelic identity went out the window.

No talking. Just do it. So Bakura leaned down and Ryou leaned up and tilted his head slightly sideways. Ryou looked pretty ridiculous with his eyes closed and his mouth slightly open like that.

Kissing was complicated, smelly, humiliating, but mostly wet. Very wet. The mouth of a human was a very wet place. Ryou's lips were really soft, but behind them was a whole other wet cave of a mouth. Bakura's mortal body froze remained still for a few moments trying to track the human's motions. Ryou's lips were sticky once covered in spit and they stuck to Bakura's face. Breath shot between the gaps in their mouths. Bakura tried to hold back but eventually, without any better inspiration, stuck his tongue into Ryou's mouth again.

"Patience," Ryou hushed, between kisses, coming back for more.

Breath, Bakura decided, was very smelly. It smelled like human. Ryou didn't taste sweet or fruity or any sort of candy flavor. Just pure Ryou, slightly sour in human chemicals but smooth and totally human. Spit tasted a lot like breath as it smeared all over Bakura's lips and left a Ryou-human-like smell around his mouth.

This all happened within a few seconds.

Bakura had to pull himself away to process it all. His breathing was faster before. His human shell was undoubtedly reacting to Ryou's motions. Bakura found he had mixed feelings. Kissing was not pleasant. It was actually quite messy but… Bakura didn't know the word. It was severely… addicting. Every touch he wanted more. And he didn't want to stop.

"You alright?" Ryou asked, touching his partner's shoulder in concern.

Bakura turned to his boyfriend and flashed him a smirk. "Perfect," he hissed, bending down for more. Ryou complied with enthusiasm.

Slow motions became easier, Bakura contributed more. The occasional scratch of teeth on a lip made things much more fun. Then a foreign object, slightly rougher then lips but still very soft, entered Bakura's touch. He caught it with his teeth and then let it escape back into Ryou's mouth. Then he realized, _that_ was a tongue. Excitement leaped in his stomach. So small motions at first. Cautiously, Bakura dipped his tongue passed Ryou's lips, a small lick and then he retreated again. Ryou seemed pleased with that because he repeated the motion.

Bakura wanted more. These tiny actions weren't nearly enough. He put his free arm around Ryou's back and pulled him near. Ryou came, leaning forward, trying to get closer. Bakura experimented, much more successfully than before. This was thrilling. Ryou's hand moved up to his chest and fuzzy warmth spread out into Bakura's body from his fingers. They inched up Bakura's neck making his insides go wild and up to his face.

Mouths broke apart for a moment but their heads were still close together, heated air rushing between them.

Ryou's voice was an airy whisper as he spoke, "Don't stop." Cautiously, his pale hands bent Bakura's head down, directing him lower to Ryou's jaw and neck. Bakura was too pleased to accept the new challenge.

There was nothing to it. Bakura bent down, dragging his lips over unexplored skin, leaving a fresh wet trail of spit. Ryou seemed to be enjoying himself. His breathing came in short bursts, sometimes carrying out a note from his lovely voice box. Every sound that escaped, made Bakura's own body more excited. Bakura dipped into the soft spot between Ryou's shoulder and neck and placed a small bite there. Ryou gasped in response. Bakura ran his tongue down Ryou's collarbone and raked his teeth across the extra sensitive skin there.

_Pound_.

A peculiar sensation beyond Bakura's stomach wriggled, making him hesitate. He drew away from Ryou's neck. His heart was still going wild, flushing hot waves of blood throughout his system. It was making it very hard for him to think.

_Pound._

An ill feeling twitched in Bakura's brain. With horror, Bakura looked down.

"Bakura?" Ryou inquired curiously, still breathing heavily.

The wrinkled pants' material between Bakura's legs was, if possible, _moving_. His human skin was doing something… _very_ unusual. It was getting hot. And it kinda hurt.

Absolute horror coursed like liquid ice through his brain. He had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that he couldn't control it, therefore it was something bad.

Bakura leapt off of Ryou's bed as fast as he could scramble. He made sure to face away from Ryou when he stood up still staring fixed down at his _complication_.

"Bakura? What's wrong?" From the rustle of cloth from the bed it sounded like Ryou was getting up off the bed.

The _problem_ was not going away, on the contrary, it seemed to be… getting _larger_. Bakura couldn't stand there any longer. This, he was sure, was _not_ supposed to be happening.

Ryou was getting closer, Bakura was in full out panic mode. There was only one thing to do.

Bakura leapt for the door.

"What?" Ryou questioned very confused. "Bakura-kun! Wait!"

But the angel was already out the door, furious stumbling down the stairwell to get as far away from Ryou as possible, disgruntled that his _predicament_ was making it very hard for him to run.

...)(-)Inflamation(-)(...

The sun had already begun to sink when Jounouchi flew from the apartment building. It had since dived down beneath the horizon line during his walk. His mood frosted in the chill evening air as the blonde marched down unknown streets. He had no idea how long he had been walking but was determined not return.

Atemu was at Yugi's house. The two were so freaking _occupied_ with each other that they didn't have enough time or room for him anymore. Honda had also taken to tagging along with Otogi's other _normal_ crowd, mostly because it surrounded him with several attractive and available girls. Seeing Ryou with that- that- _guy_ at their apartment had been too much.

Jounouchi had to get out. Out of this world, out of this human life, out of his Bleached demonic existence. As the blonde walked and walked and walked, he felt his temper burn itself out, along with the rest of his spirit. He felt… tired.

'What's point there in this crappy mission anyway?' Jounouchi cursed silently, kicking an empty soda can into the street. When had he become so dammed depressing?

Eventually Jounouchi ran out of city. The scenery was taken up by old warehouses and broken down buildings, not the nicest place though there was no reason for Jounouchi to worry. It wasn't as if humans could do anything to _him_.

Then, like a fucking sign from God, the exact last person Jounouchi wanted to see was standing on the street corner.

Jounouchi's feet stumbled to a stop. "No fucking way," he breathed despairingly.

Shafts of orange from the streetlight above brought the features of Kaiba Seto's face into view.

'Of all the humans in this fucking world, why him? Why is it _always_ him?' Jounouchi groaned. He was sick of this.

The CEO's blue eyes were wide, his face looking pale in the ugly orange light. "Jounouchi." His voice was strained.

Jounouchi stared, looking at his classmate in disbelief. Kaiba seemed… uneasy? Flustered? The stressed look didn't suit the billionaire.

"Ah… What are you doing here?" Jounouchi questioned.

Kaiba stiffened, like a fucking stick or something. Honestly, it was painful to see. "None of your business, idiot," he snarled, adding his usual insult.

"Sheesh, you don't have to bite my head off," Jounouchi grumbled. He wasn't in the mood to argue. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this asshole. Jounouchi wasn't in the mood to exist.

Kaiba's long dark blue coat swung at his ankles as the guy turned up and down the road, searching.

Jounouchi looked too but the street very empty. "What you looking for?" he asked more out of boredom then out of curiosity.

"My ride," Kaiba answered shortly, not turning to the blonde.

"The bus?" Jounouchi asked skeptically. Kaiba lower himself to level of common people and take public transportation? Very unlikely.

Kaiba shot him a cruel look. "I ordered my limo to pick me up here."

"In the middle of the night? On the outside of town?"

"I had an errand to attend to," Kaiba responded vaguely.

"In the middle of the night? On the outside of town?" It hit Jounouchi that this might have been their only conversation where he was holding his calm better then Kaiba.

Kaiba scowled, turning away from the road to scrutinize at the blonde with those blue eyes of his. "Yes. I was sending Mokuba back home."

"Back to the boarding school, you mean," Jounouchi corrected.

No. It couldn't be. Had it…? Kaiba couldn't have _flinched_. Kaiba was too ego infested to do something as weak as flinch. "_What_?"

"Well, just that, boarding school isn't really his home, right? I mean, when summer break comes along, he goes and lives with you, right?" Jounouchi pressed obviously.

Kaiba did not speak for a moment or two. His jaw muscles were working furiously at something in the back of his mind. "It is none of your business," he finished.

Normally this would piss Jounouchi off to no end, but at that moment the blonde sorta expected it. The guy was a jerk, after all. "Whatever," Jounouchi growled. "Same old typical Kaiba. Don't know why I bother."

Unexpectedly Kaiba turned and fixed Jounouchi with his most intimidating stare.

"What? You wanna say something?" Jounouchi asked lazily.

"I will not discuss Mokuba with you," Kaiba stated as though his word was freaking law, which it definitely wasn't. Arrogant bastard.

"_Fine_. I get it." Jounouchi kicked a pebble down the sidewalk. "And I suppose you needed some time to recover from me appearing in your house too? Is that why you missed all our exams?"

Kaiba's mouth tightened, or perhaps it was just Jounouchi's mind playing tricks on him in the darkness. "I was accompanying Mokuba during his stay."

"Don't you got like fifty servants or something to do that sort of thing?" Jounouchi mused off-handedly.

And then came something Jounouchi did not expected.

Kaiba's lip curled in a nasty expression, almost as if what Jounouchi had said hurt the bastard's buried non-existent feelings. "I have not seen my brother in over two years. Forgive me for not providing you with your regular school _entertainment_ while I caught up on his life."

His harsh words struck something in Jounouchi's consciousness and immediately silenced him. It was weird. He actually felt… concerned? No. Pity? For Kaiba?

'_Hell_ no. Not for the guy who's made the human world another fucking Hell for me,' Jounouchi argued to himself. Well… he felt _something_ for the guy anyway.

A few awkward moments passed. The blonde didn't know why but he wanted to say something. "I haven't told anyone, you know, about Mokuba," Jounouchi said in a softer, much less hostile tone, stare lowered to level of his knees.

Kaiba's eyes were imposing pressure upon the very atmosphere around Jounouchi's skull. "That's nice," the bastard stated indifferently.

Jounouchi frowned. "Yeah, a little freaking _gratitude_ might be nice too, you know."

Kaiba scoffed. "Come on, Jounouchi, I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do," Jounouchi growled.

'Doesn't hurt to hope though,' he added silently.

Kaiba turned around once again and Jounouchi got the full blast of the bastard's cold blue eyes again. It made his insides shiver in memory.

"Kaiba…" said Jounouchi but was cut off.

"Do yourself a favor and go home, idiot," Kaiba ordered harshly. "I don't want you following me."

Why did Kaiba have to be such a freaking _bitch_? "Excuse me for showing a fucking interest in your life," Jounouchi sneered.

Kaiba scowled. "I find no flattery in your curiosity with me. In fact it is quite unwelcome since I have absolutely no interest in an idiot like you what so ever."

And just like that, resentment that Jounouchi had been certain had burned off sizzled in his mind.

"Fuck. You. Kaiba," Jounouchi stated.

And Jounouchi couldn't explain why he had to suddenly get out of there or why he was so fucking _furious_ that his stomach roared with protest. The blonde spun on his heel and actually sped off down the street in an unknown direction. Anything, anywhere was fucking better than company with Kaiba, the fucking _ass_, the big fucking _shit-headed_ asshole! If that bastard even knew what he was dealing with…

Not that it mattered now. Nothing fucking mattered.

Jounouchi must have had the most perfect run of luck that day because the second he turned the corner he ran into yet another human. This one however was not nearly as friendly.

"Empty your pockets, pretty boy," the man ordered meanly, an unpleasant look in his small greasy eyes.

"Oh _please_!" Jounouchi exclaimed exasperatingly. He just wanted to get _home_! "Look, You've caught me on a very, _very_ bad day, _so_ if you would be kind enough to get the FUCK out of my way!" And Jounouchi shoved the man out of the way, fury from Kaiba still coursing hot through his veins.

Behind him however was another robber and he punched Jounouchi in the face faster than the blonde's human muscles could react.

"Stupid shit, don't you know when you're cornered?" the second one barked.

Jounouchi jumped to his feet, kicking the second guy in the face. "This is _really_ a bad time!"

Somehow a third guy must have gotten behind him because hands closed around Jounouchi's neck. The Count of Hell coughed, gagged and then grabbed the third guy by the arms and, tapping probably too far into his demon self, chucked the human into the first guy.

Jounouchi was going overboard, he knew it. He was taking out his anger on these guys without thinking of the consequences. Violent human chemicals mixing with his demon's natural blood thirst blinded his common sense and sent Jounouchi's fists beating down even the slightest movement from the human thieves. Even after he beaten his way to an escape, Jounouchi came back for more.

Then a flash of white crossed his mind. A dreadful flood of demonic energy swelled up to his head. And his wings surged against their bonds.

'Shit.' He _had_ gone too far. He was losing control of his human shell. 'Oh shit.' Jounouchi buckled down his concentration, pulling himself away from the battle.

But that had also been a mistake. Cause now he was vulnerable.

In the midst of his restraining his demonic presence, Jounouchi saw something gleam in one of the thugs' hands. And it darted toward him.

Then a cool gust of air from the street outside chilled the sweat on the back of his neck. A head of brown brunette hair jumped into Jounouchi's view, and he had no doubt about who it was.

"Kaiba, _no_!" Jounouchi shouted. But it was too late.

The bastard was standing in the chaotic alley like an unyielding, immovable statue, power absolutely radiating off of his supreme form. One arm raised, hand clasped oh-so-calmly on the blade of the knife that had been aimed for Jounouchi's gut.

It was scary. Kaiba was as still as death. Ferocious, lethal eyes swept like the plague across the thugs that crouched under his presence.

Jounouchi had his back against the opposite wall. It seemed to him that Kaiba grew a foot taller in the shadows, ice encrusting every corner and crack of the alley.

How was this guy so amazing?

"Get out." It was a tone so murderous that it sent shivers through Jounouchi's system.

The thugs fled without another thought. The moment they were gone Kaiba sunk to his knees, cradling his split bleeding hand.

Jounouchi jumped to his side. "Kaiba!" A queer mix of sheer amazement and guilt consumed the blonde's mind. Kaiba had _saved_ him. Not that Jounouchi had ever been in any _actual_ danger. But it was the thought that counted. Kaiba had jumped in there, at risk to his own bodily harm and rescued him.

Rescued by Kaiba. He just couldn't get his mind around it.

"Kaiba... you- you…"

Then the familiar scent of blood burned the inside of Jounouchi's nostrils and he forgot all about his gratefulness. His ears picked up the drip of the dark liquid spilling onto the ground. How bad was it? How deep had the knife cut into Kaiba's hand? There seemed to be so much blood. "Shit…"

Kaiba had his back turned towards the blonde. He took off his long trench coat, and his breathing went harsh as he wound his bleeding hand in the slick material.

"Oh, fucking shit. Ah we, ah-ah, got to get you to a hospital! Yeah…" Jounouchi was panicking. He looked frantically around for a pay phone. There was none.

Out of a pocket Kaiba drew his cell phone. Crimson reflected off his hand as he tried to dial a number. The CEO cursed, his fingers were shaking too hard.

"Here, I'll call the hospital," Jounouchi insisted. He put a hand on Kaiba's shoulder wanting to help.

But the bastard, to Jounouchi's complete shock, winced and moved away.

"Don't touch me!"

Jounouchi recoiled. "_What_?"

Kaiba was being very strange. He was inching away from Jounouchi across the concrete ground. Face bent down, a mass of brown bangs hiding his pained expression from sight. All Jounouchi could see was his clenched teeth, gritted in the hurt of his injury.

"Kaiba," said Jounouchi slowly. He inched forward. "Let me see-"

"_No_." Kaiba jerked away. His voice was fierce, like Jounouchi was the one coming at him with a knife.

"What the _fuck_ is your _problem_?" Jounouchi questioned severely.

"I can take care of it myself," Kaiba groaned, bloody fingers fumbling over the cell phone's keys.

Jounouchi's brain hurt. He felt sick. Kaiba didn't fumble. Kaiba wasn't weak. Kaiba was strong.

"Don't be stupid!" Jounouchi cried, grabbing the bastard's good arm to forcefully take the phone away. Again, Kaiba shoved him off. "Fucking shit, Kaiba. In case you haven't noticed, I'm _trying_ to help you!"

Kaiba did not answer. He was grounded on the awful sticky concrete, sweat pouring down his face and hair in disarray. What the fuck was going on? This was a side of Kaiba that Jounouchi didn't want to see. Kaiba didn't act like this, he never lost his cool.

"So, what, you're allowed to jump in front of a knife for me but I'm not allowed to stop you from bleeding to death? Are you on- You'd rather risk _dying_ than letting someone else actually fucking _help_ you, is that it? Are you _that_ fucking _selfish_?"

"You don't understand anything," Kaiba stated, body clearly rigid with hurt and stress.

Jounouchi's stare was fixed on Kaiba's trembling hand, dyed red with blood, as the bastard finished his phone call.

Was it just him or was Kaiba's blood… smoking? It smelled… strange. Perhaps all human blood smelled like this but… Jounouchi hesitated. Something else was up. Something was wrong. That smell was strong, really, really strong. Not merely metallic but also… strangely sour.

"Kaiba…" Jounouchi took a step forward. The bastard was stuffing the cell phone back out of sight. "Why don't you want me," Jounouchi gulped, "To touch you?"

The bastard did not answer, although his complexion was rather pale.

'Could it be…' Jounouchi's brain was numb. 'This smell… Maybe he didn't let me touch even his cell phone because… his blood was on it?'

Angel blood was, after all, the most corrosive substance in the universe. One drop could dissolve all the way down to the earth's core. Was that why Kaiba had wrapped his hand up in his coat? So Jounouchi wouldn't see the liquid burning away his human skin? To give the liquid time to dissolve through the coat's material before it was exposed?

"Kaiba," Jounouchi said more firmly. "Why don't you want me to touch your blood?" The blonde's voice shook. He hoped, hell, he fucking _prayed_ he was wrong. If Kaiba was… but he couldn't be a…

Kaiba paused, then, "I have… AIDS."

It was such a shock and such a relief all at the same time that at first Jounouchi couldn't find anything to say.

"You what?" Jounouchi questioned to give himself time to think, even though he had heard Kaiba perfectly well.

Kaiba shifted his position on the ground, still not meeting Jounouchi's bewildered stare. "Are you such an idiot that you do not even know what it is?"

"I know what _AIDS_ is," Jounouchi snapped. A human disease of the blood, or something like that. Atemu had mentioned it once. Was that why his blood smelled sour? So angel-like? So Kaiba didn't want Jounouchi to touch his blood cause then he might catch it that was fine. That explained everything. "You could have let me call an ambulance anyway…"

"I didn't call an ambulance," Kaiba admitted, staring out onto the, for now, empty street.

"What do you mean you _didn't_ call an ambulance?" Jounouchi questioned disbelievingly.

But his question was answered not five seconds later as a taxi came speeding down the road and came to a screeching halt next to them.

Kaiba at least allowed Jounouchi to help him get into the car, on his good arm of course.

"The hospital," Jounouchi ordered the cab driver.

"_No_," Kaiba spat. His complexion by this point was very unhealthy looking. "The Kame Game Shop."

"Are you _shitting_ me?" Jounouchi practically screamed, "What? You planning on buying a pack of cards to close up that wound, huh?"

"I need someone who's there," Kaiba stated vaguely.

This confused Jounouchi beyond reason. This night was getting too ridiculous. "Who? Yugi? Why do you need him?"

Kaiba shoved himself finally into the car, panting. "He's… in my… support group."

"Support what?"

It looked like the billionaire was in a hell of a lot of pain. "My _AIDS_ support group, _idiot_," Kaiba growled. "He has the proper equipment that I need."

"Yugi… he's- but…" There were too many surprises this evening. Kaiba knew Yugi? Yugi in an AIDS support group? "Yugi… does he have AIDS too?"

Kaiba wouldn't answer.

'Holy shit, Atemu…' Jounouchi cursed. Did Atemu know? Fucking shit.

"Excuse me, but I can't sit here forever," the taxi driver called from the front seat.

Jounouchi nodded numbly. "Right." He made to get in the car as well but the bastard stopped him.

"You're not coming," Kaiba stated. It sounded like an order. And Jounouchi hated being told what to do.

"Like fucking hell, I'm not!" Jounouchi barked, getting increasing livid by the second. "What if you faint or collapse on the way there? What if you start bleeding all over the place?"

"Exactly." Kaiba gave Jounouchi one last pained look. "This is for your own safety, Jounouchi. If I start bleeding all over the place, you would be in danger. I will not let you catch this."

"But Kaiba!" Jounouchi was screaming. He wanted to stop the bastard from leaving. He wanted to help. He wanted to punch that fucking taxi driver!

But the bastard grabbed the car door and slammed it shut.

Five seconds later the taxi was gone and Jounouchi was left behind on the cold empty street.

* * *

...)(-)Inflamation(-)(...

* * *

SO I'll probably like update like next week. Seriously. Because I feel so shitty about not updating in a month. Again. Sorry guys. I love you all.

But not as much as I love Roxas. Yum… And Riku… but not necessarily in that combination. However if one would sprinkle a bit of Sora on that mixture…

ENOUGH GEEKING OUT!!!

NEXT CHAPTER!: Yugi has to explain to Bakura what his "problem" is, and why how its really not a problem. (WOAH AMBIGUOUS SENTENCES!) Oh, next chapter is sexy. And I do mean hotness. Bakura has to clean up Seto's mess but runs into a serious complication.

SUPER PLOT COMING UP!! I'm so excited I almost forgot Roxas for a second. Almost. Because if I did forget about Roxas I'd be as lame as Sora.

**REVIEW!!!!**


	17. Connotation

Oh… plot. That's important too. That comes to play in here.

Updates are important.

I'm so proud of this chapter title btw. It's so… deep. No, not really.

* * *

**Chyaputa 17: Connotation**

the associated or secondary meaning of a word or expression in addition to its explicit or primary meaning:

the set of attributes constituting the meaning of a term and thus determining the range of objects to which that term may be applied; comprehension; intension.

* * *

Bakura had gotten back to the Kame Game shop after his extremely _uncomfortable_ bus ride. Luckily by the time he reached his destination, his _problem_ had worn off. So he charged up the stairs and was not surprised to find both Yugi and Atemu huddled together on the couch, leaning over a math textbook.

In a flash, Bakura had seized Atemu by his shoulders, dragged him vehemently off the couch and, ignoring Yugi's screams of protest, thrust him out into the hall.

"You've over stayed your welcome," Bakura growled, throwing various schoolbooks and pencils after him.

"Bakura!" Yugi cried as Atemu was forcefully evicted from the room.

"It's fine," Atemu told Yugi, while giving Bakura a nasty look, "I wouldn't want to cause any trouble. I'll see you tomorrow."

Yugi, likewise unwillingly, waved goodbye. Bakura was unhelpful by slamming the door shut after the human.

Yugi rounded on his friend. "Bakura-kun, you had absolutely no right to do that!" he lectured almost immediately after they were alone in the room. "Atemu is a guest. You had _no_ right to barge in here and just… toss him out!"

But Bakura didn't care. "Yugi," he interrupted so severely that his superior actually halted his accusations. "I'm- I think I'm… defective."

The other angel stared, very confused. "What are you talking about, Bakura-kun? Defective how?"

Bakura's jaw tightened, he shifted his weight from foot to foot. It was very hard to admit this. "Not me, my human skin. It's doing weird things on its own. _It's_ defective," he admitted moodily.

"What's defective?" Yugi was getting slightly concerned at his friend's peculiar behavior.

"_It_! _It_ is defective!" Bakura cried furiously, pacing up and down the room.

"It?" Yugi asked.

Bakura paused his incessant restless walking to roll his eyes. "_It_!"

He pointed down.

Yugi stared, blinked, then followed Bakura's finger. His creamy colored face was over come with a fresh wave of pink.

"Um…" Yugi delicately directed his gaze up to the ceiling, "What exactly is… defective about _it_?"

"It was growing," Bakura stated honestly.

Yugi's lips tightened, his face contorted as though he was trying to force it into a very uneasy expression. Then a small muffled snort escaped.

Bakura glowered meanly at him. "_What_?"

Yugi was failing to hide his grin. "Bakura-kun," he began, in an all-too-calm tone, "Were you perhaps… oh, I don't know, um, performing certain… physical activities with Ryou-kun at the time?"

Bakura froze up. How could Yugi have known that? He could feel burning sickly _mortal_ shame rising up in his body. "Does it matter?" he growled.

Yugi's grin spread; no longer struggling to hide itself. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Bakura-kun. That result is perfectly normal for human bodies."

Bakura doubted that.

Yugi saw the look on his cynical friend's face and sighed. "Bakura-kun, if you had bothered to actually _read_ the information that I gave you on human world life style, like you were supposed to, _before_ coming on this mission, I don't think you would be so confused. I explained it all in there."

"Yeah, so what does it do?" Bakura insisted.

"Um… well, I already told you when we got here what it's for," Yugi reminded him.

"Yeah," Bakura recited, "You said it was for… mating."

"Well, yeah. That," Yugi cleared his throat loudly, "That _growing_, as you put it, is kinda… what it does to… prepare for the… experience."

Something snapped inside of Bakura's skull. So he really almost mated with Ryou.He hadn't even known how close he was.

"Is there a way to avoid it?" Bakura questioned, if he could do things with Ryou but not mate…

"You won't have to worry about that," said Yugi, not showing his usual concern. There was a tone under his words that even caught Bakura's dull notice. "Higher Beings can't mate, or have human sex."

Bakura scowled. "Why?"

Yugi half turned away, reorganizing his schoolbooks. "It's just impossible. Your suppressed Higher Being simply won't let you. It fights back. And if you try to fight it, push too hard, your Higher Being self will just… break through."

Bakura stared. He had never heard this before. "Break through? Like expose our angel selves?"

"Yep," Yugi affirmed, the word was unusually crisp and light. He was not looking at Bakura.

So. He never had to worry about mating at all. It wasn't even possible.

Somehow, Bakura didn't feel relieved.

Awkward space stretched. Bakura watched Yugi packing his things away with a critical eye. The change in Yugi's attitude was very unlike him.

Then it suddenly became apparent to both angels in the room that there was a commotion happening downstairs.

Bakura sniffed. "Blood."

Yugi's small human form suddenly jumped, complexion paling, eyes wide and fixed on something not in front of him. "Kaiba-kun," Yugi spoke and without another word ran from the room. Bakura dashed after him, down the stairs. The game shop was practically empty thanks to it being near closing time.

"Excuse me young man, but you don't look well. You should be at a hospital!" the old man who owned the shop suggested.

"Kaiba-kun!" Yugi cried, rushing immediately to the brunette's side.

The stench of angel blood smacked Bakura in the face as he caught sight of their fellow angel. Even Bakura could grasp the gravity of this situation. What had it been? Was this the first attack? Bakura knew Yugi was thinking the same thing. Yugi supported Kaiba to the staircase as the old dying human guy danced madly around.

"Yugi, Bakura, do you know this young man? Why is his hand all wrapped up? My good lord, is that blood? Yugi, I'm sure the hospital would be a much better place for him. I'll call an ambulance…"

"No!" Bakura commanded. He snapped his fingers an inch in front of the old human's wrinkly nose, and the old guy immediately froze, encased by Bakura's spell.

"Bakura-kun! Don't bewitch our human!" Yugi cried, from the stairs.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "You're _welcome_."

Yugi shook his head but let it go, after all they had other more important things to deal with at the moment. Together they pulled Kaiba up the stairs into the safety of the enclosed living room and Bakura even helped position Kaiba on the couch.

Yugi did not waste time. "Bakura-kun, I'll need some tears, now."

Bakura wordlessly went into Yugi's bedroom, shoved open the closet doors and found the bottle, full to the brim with silver liquid. Yugi's personal stash, saved for just such an emergency as this. A Hashmallim's tears were very powerful, especially compared to Bakura's own. He brought the bottle back to the living room to find Yugi placing protective spells around Kaiba, to make sure that not even the slightest drop of angel blood could escape his containment. Bakura passed the bottle into Yugi's small hands as soundlessly as he had brought it in.

"Ok, Kaiba-kun, I'm going to remove your coat now," Yugi said kindly, kneeling on the floor beside the couch. "Try to hold still." Kaiba's jaw tightened, his whole body tensed but he said nothing. Sweat gleamed off his human face. As carefully and as delicately as possible, Yugi's small fingers pealed the expensive material off of the trench coat away from Kaiba's clammy, pale skin.

Most of the enormous trench coat had already been dissolved by the crimson substance, reduced to shreds. Yugi flicked the remains of the clothing into the air where Bakura took his cue and incinerated the evidence. It burst into golden flames and dissipated into the air.

Even the smallest amount of angel blood rapidly complicated a situation. No matter how large that wound might have been originally, Kaiba's blood had by now dissolved not only the surrounding coat material but his own human flesh as well. Kaiba's appendage was reduced to a oozing, bubbly mass of human skin. Bakura recoiled to the other end of the room, watching his superior operate.

Yugi uncorked the bottle of angel tears and poured it over the remnants of Kaiba's hand. It hissed and fizzed sluggishly as the tears reacted to the blood and neutralized its dangerous properties. Kaiba released a sigh of instant relief.

"What happened Kaiba-kun?" Yugi asked gently.

Bakura clutched the arm of the sofa, nails piercing the fabric. "Where is the demon?" And there was an odd charge of excitement from his angelic instincts. His hidden wings twitched.

Kaiba grimaced but complied nonetheless. He would never disobey a direct order from his commander. "Human drew a knife, I took care of him. It was only a small cut."

"A _human_?" Bakura cried, furious. His angelic core shrunk back to inactivity. "You couldn't even risk our cover for a demon. How very careless of you, Tainted One."

"Bakura-kun," Yugi warned over his shoulder. "What else? Did anyone see you? Why didn't you fly or teleport back?"

Kaiba's expression went stony and unreadable, eyes squeezed shut. "Didn't have the strength, couldn't risk transforming," Kaiba breathed heavily, "There was another human who witnessed the attack."

"Who?" Yugi asked, with restraining calm.

The answer seemed painful. "Jounouchi."

"Jounouchi-kun!" Yugi repeated, astonished. He re-corked the bottle of the angel tears. The magical liquid had stopped the bleeding but an ugly wrinkled sore of flesh remained. Yugi positioned his hands over Kaiba's ruined appendage and poured his angelic magic into the wound.

Kaiba's eyes snapped opened, staring fiercely at the ceiling. "He won't tell anyone. He suspects nothing. I told him I have AIDS."

Yugi nodded. "That was a good idea."

"Nice _save_," Bakura drawled nastily.

"I had to tell him that you have AIDS as well, Yugi-sama, to explain why I had to come here," Kaiba reported, "He's such an idiot he believed me."

Yugi swallowed. "I understand."

"Did you say _I_ had this disease?" Bakura accused.

"No," Kaiba answered tersely, closing his eyes again.

"Good, I don't need any more fucking trouble from you," Bakura sneered. "You got things covered here, Yugi?"

Yugi nodded, attention fixed so determinedly on Kaiba's wound that he did not have the patience to tell Bakura off.

"Then if you need me I'll be in my room." Bakura turned.

On his way out the door he heard Yugi mutter to Kaiba through his concentration, "I'll fix it good as new, Kaiba-kun. Just a little longer."

…)(-)-(Connotation)-(-)(…

Ryou was silently contemplating the intricacies of his English textbook when Jounouchi, waned faced and slightly frantic, slammed open the front door.

"Atemu!" he cried, too loudly, probably waking up half the neighbors.

The said demon emerged from the kitchen with a large pair of yellow, rubber gloves, sodden with soapsuds. Having just gotten home from Yugi's, he had decided to work off his negative energy on the mess of dirty dishes piling up in the kitchen sink.

"You yelled?" the old demon responded dryly.

"Atemu," Jounouchi came to a screeching, breathless stop in front of him, a strange panicked light in his yellow-brown eyes. "What exactly is _AIDS_?" Jounouchi questioned, still panting slightly, he must have ran all the way up three flights of stairs to their floor.

Atemu took a moment to examine Jounouchi's appearance before speaking. "It's a human disease."

"Yeah, I _know_ that!" Jounouchi dismissed impatiently. "But what exactly _is_ it? What does it do?"

Atemu frowned slightly, irritated that Jounouchi was being rude to his advice. "It's Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, destroys the immune system of humans so that their bodies can't fight normally against other illnesses. It's treatable but there's no cure."

Jounouchi's mouth hung, agape, horrified. "No cure? But… but then how do people survive it?"

"Humans die, Jounouchi," Atemu stated, a little too morbidly in Ryou's opinion. "Whether it's from a disease or an injury, it happens all the time. AIDS is particularly dreadful because it's so infectious. It's an STD so that makes it all the more dangerous."

"STD?" Jounouchi inquired.

"Sexually Transmitted Disease," Atemu answered obviously.

Even from the couch across the room, Ryou could see Jounouchi's face tighten and eyes pop. Ryou stared, had something bad just happen to Jounouchi? All Ryou could see in his eyes was the image of the inside of a car… a limo, perhaps?

"Of course, humans can also pass AIDS a number of other ways, blood, contaminated drug needles, or any transfer of fluids…"

"So can our human skins get AIDS?" Jounouchi demanded much more tactfully now, as though he severely wished for a negative.

Atemu paused. Ryou could see the Soldier's eyes visibly sharpening, contemplating where all these questions were coming from.

"Theoretically, but you shouldn't be in a situation to get it."

Jounouchi started. "Who said anything about _me_?" he barked, jumping up angrily, teeth bared.

"Calm down, Jounouchi-kun," spoke Ryou, finally getting up from the couch and walking over to join them. "No one said anything about you. Atemu is only speaking hypothetically."

"Damn straight you are!" Jounouchi growled.

Atemu did not lift his piercing, searching stare. "Unless of course, you are involved in something…"

Jounouchi was plainly furious. "I was just asking! Can't a guy ask a fucking question without being fucking _interrogated_?"

"Jounouchi-kun, it's nothing. Atemu-kun didn't mean to offend you. He's not accusing you of anything," said Ryou reasonably.

"Ryou's right," Atemu stated, face expressionless. "I meant no disrespect, Jounouchi-kun. I simply was curious."

"Well… good," Jounouchi grunted, pulling back.

"It's just," Atemu began again. "I was only wondering where all this talk of AIDS began?"

Jounouchi looked extremely frustrated. "I… I'm…" He stopped, swallowing. "Atemu, I'm only telling you this for your own good. I heard, from a pretty reliable source that… well, to tell you the truth, Yugi, he- he's got AIDS."

"Yugi-kun?" Ryou repeated, shocked. He turned to Atemu but could not see the demon soldier's blood red eyes.

"I see…" Atemu stated, speaking slowly. He was very careful not meet Ryou's inquisitive stare.

"You _see_?" Jounouchi questioned incredulously. "You're _dating_ Yugi, aren't you? This is serious!"

"Believe me, Jounouchi, I know," said Atemu. Then, without another comment or change of expression, he returned in the kitchen.

Ryou stared after him. Could Atemu be so stunned by the news that he couldn't react? Perhaps the full force of this information would hit him later?

'Maybe,' Ryou thought as the kitchen closed behind his friend, 'Atemu already knew?'

"Damn," Jounouchi cursed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Ryou looked back at him. "I didn't want to tell Atemu like that."

"You did the right thing," Ryou reassured. "But if those two really care about each other they will figure it out, besides it's not like Atemu can have sex anyway. It might be the perfect situation."

"Yeah…" Jounouchi shifted uncomfortably. The blonde looked up and Ryou caught his stare. Within that glance, Ryou looked into Jounouchi's mind and saw the object that had been dominating the blonde's mind for a while now. A pair of cold, blue eyes.

"Well… I'm gonna, you know, hit the sack," said Jounouchi, heading off towards his room.

"Right…" said Ryou, watching him go.

It was more troublesome than helpful, Ryou decided as Jounouchi disappeared behind his door. Being able to read the surface of people's thoughts, that unwelcome gift from the Master. It made everything more complicated. Atemu had avoided making eye contact with Ryou ever since he had found out, hiding his mind from whatever Ryou might find there.

But then, if Ryou didn't have it, where would he and Bakura be without his little hint during their last time together? 'The same place we are now,' Ryou thought grimly. Bakura still ran, but Ryou wasn't too worried, he'd bring Bakura around again. Once Bakura got comfortable again… well…

Ryou closed his eyes and relived in his mind, Bakura's sharp teeth against his defenseless bare neck. He swooned in remembrance of the sensation.

…)(-)-(Connotation)-(-)(…

After the _excitement_ of the night before, Kaiba was determined to confine himself indoors and focus ever more diligently on the task Yugi had appointed to him, the tedious, unremitting observation of the human information network. Although he still believed the job to be an irritating and overall fruitless waste of his time, Kaiba now stuck to the assignment with increased zealous. The previous night was the second time that he had come dangerously close to revealing his identity to a human, the same human, and it had been the second time when he had depended on Yugi to fix him.

Kaiba opened and closed his left hand repeatedly, stretching the now healthy whole skin and tendons. It was as good as new now, utterly flawless. Yugi's healing powers were truly efficient. But the sight of his clean hand only made Kaiba more agitated.

What had come over him that night? That idiot got himself caught in another predicament. Kaiba could have left. He could have deserted that idiot, but then idiot would have most likely gotten himself killed. Swallowing another surge of shame and frustration, Kaiba fervently punched the keys of his computer, scrolling down pages and pages of documents previously abandoned during Mokuba's visit.

It wasn't long into the first day of winter break when the secretary called him on his office intercom. "Kaiba-sama, there's a teenage boy outside the front gate demanding a meeting with you…"

Kaiba did not answer at once. The idiot was calling upon him again? Wasn't it bad enough that they had to tolerate sitting in the same classroom during school hours? Wasn't he satisfied with seeing Kaiba at his worst not twenty-four hours before? Why make Kaiba relive his humiliation?

Then Kaiba recalled the idiot's expression that night. His normal composed features had been flushed with fury and confusion.

"_Fuck, Kaiba! Why won't you let me help you?" _

Kaiba groaned. Humans were truly unorthodox creatures.

"Kaiba-sama? Did you hear me?" the secretary asked again.

"Send him up to my office," Kaiba ordered lazily, through the intercom box.

His normally collected insides were alight, alive. It was highly uncomfortable.

Kaiba opened a side drawer and pulled out and a roll of bandages. In a few swift, tight movements, he wrapped the bandage tightly around his left hand; he had to give the illusion that he was hurt.

Five minutes later, Kaiba's office door opened. Jounouchi entered, his artfully disheveled, golden hair dipping into his honey brown eyes.

"Hey," Jounouchi grunted, stare shifting.

Kaiba absorbed the silence.

The idiot hesitated before continuing, as though hoping Kaiba would save him the humiliation of starting the conversation. He was not that luckily. "Are you, ah… I mean," Jounouchi eyed Kaiba's newly bandaged hand, "How is it?"

"Fine," Kaiba answered tersely.

"Good. That's… ah, great…" Jounouchi's hands were buried deep in the pockets of his jeans, face tinged remorseful. "Look, I just came by to say, you know…" He hesitated. "Ah, thanks for, ah, last night."

Kaiba watched the blonde, waiting for the accusations, suspicions about his blood, inquiries into the indecency of his behavior that night, but none came. Kaiba had overestimated the idiot's powers of perception. "You are welcome," he responded with indifference.

The idiot glanced up, saw Kaiba was watching him and then shot his amber eyes back down to the floor. "I'm, ah… It's a good thing you came back for me. Normally I don't think you would-"

"You're right, I wouldn't," Kaiba commented coldly.

Jounouchi frowned. "I'm trying to thank you, bastard. Mind waiting at least until the end to ridicule me?"

Kaiba felt the corner of his mouth twitch. "Sure."

Jounouchi breathed, slightly surprised at Kaiba's, however short and grudging, courtesy. "I guess, I feel kinda bad for sayings those things about you…"

Something clicked in the back of Kaiba's brain. Why was the idiot taking this apology so far? He had already given his gratitude for the rescue; surely there was nothing else he could be sorry for.

Then the thoughts connected. Kaiba understood, and his mood began to grow cold.

"There's no need for you to say weak things like that," he interrupted.

"Kaiba, I want to."

His name! It aggravated Kaiba to hear that idiot use his name.

"You've said all that needs to be said, so get out," Kaiba growled turning his eyes away from his visitor and back at his computer screen. "I've got other important things to do."

The idiot looked shocked. "Kaiba, I don't if you've realized this but I'm actually trying to be _nice_."

"Cute. Now leave," Kaiba insisted flatly, moving to end the conversation quickly. He would not look up, he would not give the idiot permission to continue.

"What- the _hell_- are you…" the idiot spluttered then clamped his mouth shut as though trying desperately to calm his usual anger. It looked like it was causing his primitive brain a great deal of strain. "Why do you _always_ do this? Why do you have to fucking shut people out all the time?" The idiot was losing his cool fast.

"Why do you always feel the incessant urge to pester me?" Kaiba retorted coolly, keeping _his_ calm fully in check.

The idiot's mouth was working over-time, opening and closing over and over again in a sort of gasping exercise, until finally he managed to form words. "I-I felt bad about the things I said. I was trying to- hell, _fucking_ hell- I don't know! Make things better? I didn't know that you had AIDS-"

"You didn't know," Kaiba felt his voice rip seething passed his teeth, "And that makes a difference?"

"I-I- don't…" the idiot mumbled. His dull brain could not to fathom Kaiba's angle.

"So you've found out and now you feel so awfully sorry for me, right? Pity? Do you think I need concern?"

"What the fuck are you getting on about?" the idiot questioned.

Kaiba stood up, as slowly yet as menacingly as possible. "The sole reason you came here today was to share your condolences. To say that I must have had a hard life because of my tragic disease."

"No!" Jounouchi barked, very red-faced. The word made Kaiba start. The idiot was lying, right to his face. The insolent nerve of that human was-

"Like hell, I would feel sorry for _you_! Wrapped up in this rich, _fancy_ house with your fucking silk tapestries everywhere and your stupid expensive curtains and your big- stupid-ASS _attitude_! Oh yes, what _fucking_ hard life you've got." The idiot positively ground his words with his teeth.

Kaiba was… He could not think of what to say. This had never happened to him before. His perception of this idiot's character had been incorrect. Kaiba's knees bent, dropping himself back into his seat. "Then," he breathed, collecting his calm again, "What _are_ you here for?" Kaiba stated as formally as possible.

Jounouchi took a deep breath, shook himself and then fixed Kaiba with honey brown eyes. "I think… I might possibly have… AIDS."

He said this line very seriously and yet Kaiba could not believe him.

"You would know if you had AIDS," Kaiba drawled, unimpressed with this joke.

"Kaiba," The idiot said his name again, "I'm serious."

"You should start a career in acting," Kaiba stated smoothly but Jounouchi's stubborn look did not fade. "Very well. I will play along. Why do you believe you have AIDS?"

Jounouchi's complexion contorted as though he really did not want to say but he continued. "I think… I might have…" he gulped, trying to buy himself time, "Fooled around with someone who has it."

Kaiba's teeth clenched. He could have broken the armrests off his chair. So… the idiot had participated in relations with _other_ humans? Kaiba didn't know why he was so surprised. He should have known. It was in their human nature, simpleton animals that couldn't keep their pants on for two minutes. Kaiba's body temperature cooled to dangerous levels. "You _think_ you've fooled around with someone?" he sneered, "How can you not be certain?"

The idiot played the innocently bashful role and turned his eyes away. "It was a complicated situation."

Kaiba scowled; he doubted the situation was that complicated. How many sluts had the idiot courted? There were probably so many that the idiot couldn't recall with which he had engaged severe intimate relations. Perhaps it had been the one he had undoubtedly brought to that frivolous Holiday Dance gathering a couple of weeks ago.

Kaiba could not remember the last time he had fought so aggressively to keep his composure. "And _who_, do you _believe_, did this… _complicated_ situation take place with?"

Jounouchi did not answer at once. Silence remained for an awkwardly long time.

"Kaiba…" the idiot began, the tone in his voice sounded obvious. As Kaiba glanced up from his computer he found Jounouchi's gaze locked onto him, the answer shown in his blatant expression.

Kaiba's previous anger dissolved, leaving a disagreeable aftertaste.

"Jounouchi," the name slipped out before he could stop it. "That is impossible."

"Is it?" Jounouchi challenged. The blonde took a step forward. "I don't remember much from that night, especially after we left the party were in your limo…"

"_Nothing_ happened," Kaiba stated, voice as rigid as ice. This conversation was getting very dangerous. His palms were moist and cold.

"Really?" Jounouchi stated doubtfully. "Then I suppose you know _exactly_ what happened? Remember every single detail, do you? Were you completely aware of what was happening the _whole_ time?"

Kaiba scowled. Jounouchi had him trapped. If he said he remembered nothing, he would be proving the blonde's point, however if he said he remembered that horrible circumstance… Jounouchi might discern that he had encouraged that… series of events, which he certainly had not.

"I _know_," Kaiba hissed deadly serious, trying to threaten the golden blonde with his will alone, "What I would do in a situation, no matter how exceptional."

"But you don't, without a single shrivel of the slightest doubt, _actually_ know, right?" Jounouchi questioned smugly.

Kaiba's scowl deepened. He was backed into a corner. "No, I do not."

"Exactly! So I could have caught it from you," Jounouchi concluded.

"Jounouchi, there is no possible way," Kaiba stated again, making sure to use the blonde's name this time to underline his certainty. His face hard and unmoving, arms locked over his chest. It did not matter whether they had done anything in the car that night or not, since there was absolutely zero chance that Kaiba himself actually had AIDS.

Jounouchi too was getting frustrated it seemed, but for a different reason.

"Why is it so hard for you to admit that you _might_ have done something with me?" the blonde accused.

"Why do you insist that we did? Does that give you pleasure?" Kaiba countered cunningly.

Jounouchi choked. "I am only arguing that there may have been a _possibly_ that we- ah, did stuff. Obviously _I_, of all people, would hope that it wasn't true!"

"Because you find the idea of me so revolting?" Kaiba questioned.

"Cause I don't want to have AIDS, duh!" Jounouchi cried, getting flustered.

"So… you do not find me revolting?" Kaiba inquired.

Jounouchi started, distracted and disconcerted by this new tactic,as Kaiba knew he would be. "That's… not the point now, is it?"

Kaiba smirked, pleased with his work. Watching Jounouchi squirm was his favorite sport. "Not now, no," he agreed.

"Good," Jounouchi moved on with difficulty. "The _point_ is that there _is_ a _possibility_ that I _might_ have caught it from you that night."

"Which I have told you is impossible," Kaiba settled flatly.

"Fucking hell, Kaiba! We've been over this! If you don't remember than there's no way you can say that!"

"Fine," Kaiba growled, leaning back in his seat and viewing Jounouchi dryly. "For sake of argument, let's say there is a possibility. Go test yourself and find out," he suggested. "Then you will have undeniable proof that you don't have AIDS and we didn't do anything." Inwardly Kaiba smirked. This was the perfect plan. No matter what happened that night, once the blonde got the test he would be forced to admit defeat and leave Kaiba alone.

However, Jounouchi was hesitating.

Kaiba scowled. "Is there something _wrong_ with that?"

"I can't go to a hospital," Jounouchi admitted shortly.

This was getting tiring. "Why is that?"

Jounouchi took a while to answer. "…Promise you won't tell anyone?"

Kaiba raised an eyebrow. "Depends."

"Kaiba," Jounouchi whined, giving him what he must have thought was a severe look but instead appeared rather ridiculous. "It's my deepest, darkest secret. I mean it, _no one_. No matter what! Not even if you're tortured!"

"Very well, I won't tell," Kaiba promised half-heartedly.

Jounouchi took a deep breath as though preparing to plunge. "I… I too have a sort of, kinda, condition," he stated. "And I really don't want it on my personal medical record for… reasons."

"_Really_?" Kaiba commented dryly. "A _secret_ condition? What mysterious mutation could you possibly have?"

Jounouchi looked uncomfortable under Kaiba's suspicious surveillance. "I can't tell you."

"Then how can I help you if I don't know?" Kaiba taunted. "Perhaps you passed it to me during that night as well." This was probably untrue. Jounouchi was most likely concealing something insignificant and embarrassing that, for the sake of his dignity, he simply did not want known. Kaiba severely doubted it was something actually dangerous.

Predictably Jounouchi fumed. "For your information, it's _not_ contagious! I just don't want it, you know, _out_ in the open…"

Kaiba was not amused. "Very well, what do you expect me to do about it? Why come here?"

"Well… you're, you know, rich, right?" Jounouchi mentioned obviously.

"Yes, you could say that I am rich."

"So… you being, ah… an extremely rich guy, you probably got your own medical stuff here, right?"

Kaiba could see where this was going. "As it so happens, I do."

"So, you could just take some of my blood and test it right here, yeah?"

"Jounouchi," Kaiba stated calmly. "I am not going to use my multi-billion yen company to assure your whims. Just because you do not want to bother going to a public doctor…"

"Are you just like _not_ capable of taking me seriously, _ever_!" Jounouchi cried. "I really do have a condition! I'm not just a fucking lazy ass, no matter what _you_ might think, and it would be very, _very_ bad if it were found out!" Kaiba had to admit, the blonde was putting on a very good show. His breathing was heavy, out of stress, his expression strained, and even his eyes had a feverish desperate shine to them. "All I'm asking is that you do me this one _teensy_ favor. Take a little time out of your, I'm sure very busy, toil-full day to order your lackey people to get a dab of my blood and find out whether I'm going to, you know, die or not!"

His last few words startled Kaiba out of his calm. But there was, after all, no need to be worried. The golden blonde was just being dramatic to prove his point. There was no way Jounouchi would die.

Perhaps thinking Kaiba was still not convinced, Jounouchi spoke up again, "Fuck, Kaiba. Just one needle prick and then I'll be out of your way, I promise. I won't come by your house ever again. You won't see me anymore, you know, except for school."

Kaiba scowled, pondering this proposal. He waited a few more seconds, letting Jounouchi sweat, then finally stood up.

"The sooner it's over the sooner you can leave," stated Kaiba indifferently.

Jounouchi's face broke into a grin, which was ridiculous because, after all, there was no reason for him to worry anyway. "Sweet. So where do we, ah, go?"

Kaiba moved out from behind his desk and walked toward the door. "Follow me," he ordered and Jounouchi, without complaining, did what he was told. It was abnormally obediently of him.

The two of them made their way to the elevator at the end of the hall. When both were inside Kaiba typed in the necessary code and pressed the "SB7" button. The elevator dropped.

Kaiba's stomach floated. Long moments dragged by as Kaiba and the idiot stood in silence. Kaiba did not look to see if the idiot was watching him or if he was trying to start a conversation. He recognized how cramped the space was inside the car, and his stare focused on the slit between the two elevator doors.

After too long, the blissful ding chimed as the elevator came to a stop. Kaiba's stomach returned to its normal position.

The doors couldn't open fast enough. Kaiba exited the small space as soon as there was enough space to fit his broad shoulders through. Jounouchi followed soon afterward.

"SB7? What is that? Super Basement?" Jounouchi grumbled. The two of them instantly went to opposite sides of the hallway, three feet of open space between them at all times.

"Sub Basement," Kaiba corrected coolly.

They arrived at the medical research facility Kaiba funded. He left Jounouchi by the door and caught one of the white-coated doctors as they passed with an armload of clipboards. In a low curt voice he explained the situation to his employee.

"But, Kaiba-sama," the doctor protested weakly, "We don't have that type of equipment here to check for that kind of disease."

"You have a syringe. Your medical training taught you how to draw blood. Or did your education not cover the bare essentials in basic human care?" Kaiba questioned threateningly. "Should I perhaps fetch a med student to do your job, doctor?"

"No, sir, but-"

"Then take it," Kaiba ordered fiercely.

Five minutes later, Jounouchi was sitting on a medical table, swinging his hanging legs nervously as the doctor prepared his instruments. The face under his thick golden hair looked quite pale.

Kaiba, who was watching from the corner of the room, snorted. "Nervous?"

Jounouchi jumped. "N-no," he answered firmly, bringing his swinging legs instantly to a halt. "Just… is it going to, you know, hurt?"

Kaiba scoffed. His idiot afraid of a needle?

Since when had this been _his_ idiot?

"It will be over before you know it. Barely a bee sting," the doctor insisted. Nevertheless, Jounouchi tensed on the table as the professional finally approached with the needle.

When the business was all done and Jounouchi had a band-aid on his inner arm, the doctor said, "We should have a result in about three days."

Jounouchi nodded and then he looked purposefully at Kaiba.

"And… you won't look at anything else other than AIDS, right? Nothing else, ok?"

Kaiba scowled in annoyance. "Nothing."

Jounouchi gave him a look. "You promise?"

"Get out," said Kaiba but it was not nearly as forceful as it should have been.

Jounouchi ran a hand and through his hair. "Right…" He turned toward the door, paused and looked back at Kaiba, mouth parted as though he wanted to say something.

Then his eyes darted almost fearfully to the doctor still lingering in the room. "Ah…"

Kaiba's body tensed. He silently commanded the blonde to leave…

Jounouchi took a step toward him, met Kaiba eye for beautiful amber eye. Then the idiot bolted from the room.

When he was gone and Kaiba heard the elevator door closing down the hall, the angel allowed himself to inhale again.

"I'll get this nearest hospital with the utmost urgency, sir," the doctor said, writing a label on the vial of red blood.

"No need," Kaiba cut shortly. "Give it to me."

The doctor looked confused. "But sir…"

Kaiba glared at him. "Give it to me, or you're fired," he ordered. The man gave up the vial and left hastily.

Kaiba fingered the small glass, rolling it in his hands, watching the crimson liquid glow in the overhead lights.

'That idiot…'

…)(-)-(Connotation)-(-)(…

It was late at night when Bakura arrived on the street where Kaiba had spilled bodily fluids the night before. It had taken Bakura all day to track down the exact taxi Kaiba had taken to get to the game shop and wipe the driver's memory clear of the entire incident. By the time he found the alley where Kaiba's "bleeding" had taken place, the Guardian angel was very cranky.

Cursing Yugi for giving him this job and Kaiba for being so fucking careless, Bakura crouched down at the entrance to the alleyway. This was undoubtedly the place; Bakura could smell the stench of Kaiba's foul tainted blood all over the area.

"Destroy the evidence," Bakura grunted, straightening up again.

It would be easier to perform the spell if he was in his original form.

Off-handedly, Bakura shook off the disguise, bright gold wings rustled as they stretched out into the open air.

"Not the best appearance for nighttime purposes," Bakura commented to himself with a sour grin. His wings gave off too much light; they lit half the street. If he was exposed too long in his angelic form someone, human or otherwise, was bound to notice.

Bakura sniffed, his nose a thousand times more powerful now that it had been confined in mortal skin. There wasn't a conscious human around for miles. No one would see if he acted quickly.

Wasting no more time, Bakura stretched out his fingers, hovering above the polluted spot. The magic within him twisted, shaping itself. Then a flash of still more blinding light. Bakura had no choice but to risk the exposure, if a demon found traces of an angel on the street… The magic flooded from his open palms onto the concrete. It scoured the ground, scraping up all remains of Kaiba's carelessness.

Within a few seconds it was done. Bakura let his arms fall back to his sides. Even a low level angel like himself knew how to hide his tracks.

He was about to leave when he smelled it.

The scent was faint but from the little of what Bakura could sense it most definitely had a spicy flavor.

Bakura's blood ran cold.

He knew that scent.

His spell _had_ attracted too much attention.

'Shit,' Bakura cursed. This was bad.

Yes, he had wanted, _dreamed_ of finding a demon. But not in this situation. Not when Bakura was _this_ vulnerable. He knew what had to be done. He had to escape. There was no way Bakura could hold up against a demon soldier by himself. He had to get to Yugi or _hell_, even fucking Kaiba!

He caught a passing breeze and rode it up into the sky. No sense in hiding himself now, he had already been discovered. Bakura knew the demon was growing nearer and nearer by the second.

'Fucking shit, its moving fast!' Bakura thought, sailing on the wind. No way was he going to out run this. He had no chance. This thing was coming right for him.

Bakura's angelic hands fumbled with the fabric of his human pants for the cell phone, for the communication crystal enclosed within. He held the thing in his grip like it was his last lifeline, which it was.

_ATTACK! _

His mind screamed the signal.

_ATTACK!!_

Fucking hell, let Yugi be close.

_ATTACK!_

It happened very fast. A shadow like a hand, invisible in the black night, grabbed Bakura by the neck. Its grip colder than ice, the hand yanked him forcefully down to the ground like he was the fish at the end of a line.

Bakura fell, despite his best efforts. The world and the sky flew up past him, out of reach. He crashed into the ground with an excruciating _smack_! The earth crumbled.

If he had been in his human form, the impact would have killed him, a hundred times over.

"Seems like I caught something interesting this time…" The voice was soft. Bakura was so distracted by pain that he almost missed it.

The click of clawed feet on the asphalt. Bakura's whole angelic body was flattened against the broken concrete by that giant icy hand. He barely managed to crane his head to see the monster above him.

The demon had black eyes and pure black wings, but it startled to Bakura how revoltingly diseased it looked. Black masses of poison discolored hiswhite skin and hair. Nonetheless, Bakura was grounded simply by the demon's powerful presence. Crap, it was royalty. This one must have been a freaking Prince, possibly a _Great_ Prince. There was no way Bakura was going to get close enough to…

The monster tilted its head to the side, examining Bakura curiously. "You're just a common Guardian, aren't you?" it commented mildly. "And not even a very good one." Bakura was in no position to argue. "I had hoped you would last. You could at least sense me soon enough to call your friends, which proves you're not alone here. You will be useful to our cause. But you won't last longer than that harpy, will you?"

'Harpy?' Bakura's mind shifted. 'Mai?'

"It's really too bad, I was beginning to enjoy myself down here…" the demon stated.

Bakura lifted his jaw up enough from the ground to be able to speak. "Did y-you- enjoy- ripping- her- wings-?" Bakura growled through his teeth, chin digging into the pavement. "D-drinking her- dry-?"

"Yes. I did," the demon admitted, without shame or any emotion to speak of. "She was very careless in disguising herself and not very entertaining. You're not very entertaining either, though I must say, you're much prettier than her."

Rage bubbled in Bakura's core. This was the monster that tore Mai's wings off. He didn't just kill her. No, for this guy's _entertainment_ he had made her a human and sentenced her to an eternity in purgatory. To that horrible gray place, so dull it made all go insane. No hope of redemption.

A flash of light.

Bakura had managed to lift himself onto his hands and knees. The monster was, unfortunately, still standing. Bakura's attack had done nothing but open a wound in his cheek. Red blood oozed slowly down his white marred flesh.

"You surprised me," the monster observed, voice indifferent to the injury. "Were you aquatinted with that harpy?"

"Like to hear yourself talk, don't you, dammed freak?" Bakura cursed nastily, all limbs shivering under the pressure of the demon's shadows. "Why don't you come a little closer, coward?" A futile attempt to bring the Prince within range. It wouldn't work.

The monster held for a beat. "Did you care for that harpy?"

"Not in the least," Bakura spat in disgust, glaring up at his demon captive. "She was a bitch."

The demon's unholy black eyes blinked.

Another jerk from the shadows and Bakura was sent flying into the solid brick wall behind him. He felt his precious golden wings crumple and snap. Bakura had never been on good terms with pain. It had always been a real bastard.

"You are very interesting," said the monster, calm as death.

Although he could not longer remember how to move or even how to breathe, Bakura spat at the demon Prince's feet.

"Screw you."

The monster paused, staring intently at the broken golden angel in front of him. Then another hand came out of the shadows and dove for him.

Bakura could not move fast enough. The hand struck him cleanly in his side, a sizable chunk of flesh removed from his hip leaving a gaping hole. Angel blood hissed like a flood of angry fire onto the ground.

Bakura screamed.

* * *

…)(-)-(Connotation)-(-)(…

* * *

Shittasticawesomeness!! (author squeee)

That's all I have to say.

That and…

Best… cliffhanger… EVER. (author mockish laughter)

Bakura is so BA when he's helpless. Sweet.

Told I was going to update soon. Is this soon? No. Loser author. Fragments cool.

**NOTE:** If any of you are confused about anything please tell me about what. I want to work on my clarity so I need some feedback. Know also that there are certain things that you, as the audience, are not suppose know yet although they are hinted at in the last scene especially.

Some of you may be wondering where Malik is. Some of you may be thankful he is gone. You are the ones responsible for Global Warming.

NEXT CHAPTER!!: Battle. The angels and demons meet in combat. And then the morning after, it snows.

That was such a deep next chapter description. I've never been that serious before but I don't really feel like giving anything away.

**REVIEW!!**

Nicely-nicely. And as the Japanese people say, "Sankusu!" (translation: thanks)

**REVIEW!!**


	18. Complication

More excitement than YOU BODY HAS ROOM FOR!!

I'm certainly not referencing something. No way.

"Less than" and "more than" signs work on "ff . net" again. HOORA!! See: "" So there is a God.

I'm so on time with this update it scares me.

Read and be merry.

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* * *

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Chyaputa 18: Complication

1. a situation or condition that is complex or confusing

2. any disease or disorder that occurs during the course of (or because of) another disease

3. a development

4. A confused or intricate relationship of parts

* * *

Yugi and Atemu were exiting an ice cream shop, smoothies in hand, when Yugi got the message. The crystal shocked Yugi's leg through the material of his pants.

'_ATTACK! ATTACK!! ATTACK!'_

Bakura's voice was very distinct.

Yugi's fingers slipped from his strawberry banana drink. It splattered the sidewalk in frothy pink slush.

"Yugi?" Atemu asked. The look of horror on Yugi's face was very hard to miss.

"I…" Yugi turned to Atemu. "I… _Shit_!" Yugi cried, slapping his forehead. "Oh _no_! Jii-chan wanted me to pick up those boxes from the post office, _five hours_ ago! _Shit_! I _completely_ forgot! He's going to _kill_ me!"

Yugi forced his face into a shameful smile.

Atemu looked unnerved and very confused. "Ah… well…" They both hesitated. "I guess, you should go get those boxes…"

Yugi didn't even register that his head was nodding. His skull felt full of some very sloshy liquid. "I should…" he mumbled.

Yugi turned, ready to run but Atemu's voice stopped him.

"Yugi…"

Yugi turned back.

Their eyes connected. It was scary what Yugi saw there. Pain stung his heart.

Yugi hesitated, then swooped up and planted a soft kiss Atemu's unsteady, rigid mouth.

"See you tomorrow," said Yugi.

Atemu said nothing as his boyfriend turned and disappeared down the street.

Yugi ran. His insides hurt. The dry winter air scratched at his skin. Bakura had been attacked? Was Kaiba with him? If he was alone… all mighty Heaven. How long could Bakura last on his own against a demon? Hopefully long enough for Yugi to reach him.

…)(-)-(Complication)-(-)(…

His interesting prey was weakened. It lay broken against the wall, bleeding its essence all over the human alley way. The pathetic angel's crimson life force had already begun to eat away at the matter surrounding it, brick, trash, the very air.

Ryou's demon blood was rushing too fast, the Master's poison writhing with murderous delight. He knew he couldn't just kill this one like he had the harpy. This one had information. It had companions. This one would be able to tell him where the angels' power source was hidden. Ryou hoped this Guardian would be stubborn so he could squeeze the information out of him.

The angel was crumpled, the pure gold wings bent at ugly angles. He would not put up a fight for much longer. The fun was gone.

"I suppose I should capture you now," Ryou wondered, thinking aloud.

The angel had stopped screaming a little while ago. Now it only made a scoffing ironic noise as if resigned, white hair covering most of its ruined face.

Ryou glided forward. The shadows at his fingertips were quivering excitedly.

_Bam!_

Ryou hadn't noticed the other angel's approach. He couldn't have seen him. The auras he used to track down angels were normally brightly colored, easily visible, both at night and during the day. But this angel's was dark blue, almost black.

Dark flames surrounded the newcomer and the shattered golden winged angel. This new angel's feather wings were as black as the shadows shivering in Ryou's grip.

Ryou blinked. "Are you one of this guardian's companions?"

The new angel's ice cold blue eyes flashed a threat, mouth tight and refusing speech. Ryou only had to look into the Tainted One's blue eyes to find his answer.

"It's good that you are," said Ryou. "You seem much stronger. I bet you'll last longer than your companion did."

Ryou's shadows sprang into life. Black flames rose like a wave to shield the two angels from the demon's power. It worked, for about five seconds, then the shield broke into splinters of loose flame. The Tainted angel recoiled, cold expression enraged and twisting with the shame of weakness.

"Don't be discouraged," Ryou advised, gathering a firmer grip on his shadows, "You will lose quicker that way."

This angel was less inclined to talk back than the golden winged Guardian. Instead it launched a tongue of black fire at Ryou's head in retaliation, which was blocked quite easily.

"That won't work," Ryou sighed. But the angel didn't listen to him. None of them ever did.

"Come, Tainted freak," the broken golden winged angel grunted behind the wall of black flames. "You can do better than that."

"You shouldn't be talking, useless Guardian," the Tainted one responded sharply. It sounded like they didn't have a very good relationship. The Tainted angel was losing fast and he knew it. Ryou broke through every shield he made with ease.

"Fifteen seconds," the golden angel, still bleeding profusely on the ground, announced to his fellow but for what reason Ryou did not know.

"Perhaps you should just go," Ryou suggested lightly to the Tainted one. "I only need one of you. There's no need to waste your existence here."

The Tainted angel had the same reaction at the golden one, absolute stubbornness. His blue eyes were glowing with it. "Your foolish confidence will be your undoing," he threatened.

"Five seconds," the golden angel muttered lazily.

Ryou shrugged. "Very well." Shadows leapt at his call and pounced on the Tainted angel.

Half a second before his attack could land, a burst of light as though the dawn had decided to come early, jumped over the top of the building and dove into the alley. Ryou swerved to avoid it but there was very little space to escape in that tiny alley. The bolt of light missed him by barely a foot, intense rays singeing Ryou's blemished skin. This new angel was very hard to look at it, Ryou's black eyes hurt, but he thought as he positioned himself higher up the wall of the alley that he could make out a figure with pure white wings in the center of that burning sun.

"About time you showed up, Hashmallim," the golden winged Guardian growled, still thoroughly immobile.

"You two alright?" the Sun angel inquired immediately.

"_Yeah_," the injured Guardian angel growled, "You know _besides_ the bleeding the freaking Red Sea out of my side here."

The sun angel turned to the Tainted one. "Thank you for keeping him busy until I got here, Principality-kun."

The Tainted angel nodded once and then he and the blinding holy Hashmallim rose into the air toward Ryou's position on the wall.

Ryou sighed.

'I suppose I should call for backup now,' he wondered mildly.

…)(-)-(Complication)-(-)(…

Jounouchi was at the apartment, lounging on the couch in front of the TV when he got the signal.

Like someone had pasted a colored photograph over his eyes, Jounouchi saw Ryou, the demon, the Great Prince of Hell surrounded by three angels.

'Fucking shit,' he cursed, choking on excitement. 'It's started.'

Jounouchi jumped off the couch and was at the window is a single leap. Shoving the window open, he shed his human shell and, hooking his claws onto the sill, took off, pasty white, fleshy wings quivering in the night air.

It wasn't hard to find Ryou. Every five seconds the picture would flash again in his mind, becoming clearer and clearer as he drew near to Ryou's location. Jounouchi shot like a fucking rocket or something across the night sky. And there were no stars or moon out tonight. Then he spotted the battle. The intense white glow bursting out from the streets below belonged to an angel, and a _very_ powerful one at that.

'But Ryou can handle three angels,' Jounouchi told himself as he began his dive back down to the ground. 'Ryou can handle anything.'

The entirety of the fight was now in sight. Ryou, in full-blown demon greatness, hovered at the top of the alley. Across from him was the angel that was spreading all the fucking light, so bright Jounouchi couldn't see the Higher Being within.

Jounouchi didn't spot the next angel at once, partly because of the sun angel's more powerful light, partly because the angel was camouflaged against the shadows that clung to the bottom too-well-lit alleyway.

Breath caught in Jounouchi's throat. It was something he had never seen before. That angel was Tainted.

The solar bright angel was attacking Ryou from one side, the Tainted angel from another. Ryou had to fight back the light and the black curling flames with thousands of interknit shadows that, as they grabbed, blocked and danced around his body, looked like thousands of hands, millions of arms rising out of the surrounding night air to tackle its opponents.

But Ryou was on the _defensive_. The angels must have sent down some pretty good fighters to guard their power source.

The one sun angel was way more powerful than Jounouchi. No way would he be able to take that one on. But the Tainted angel looked somewhere around his level. Jounouchi could totally manage him. Besides… he wanted a closer look at this strange new creature.

Jounouchi slipped down to the ground, figuring to take an upper hand by catching the Tainted angel in a surprised attack.

But he wasn't as concealed as he had thought.

"Oi, Tainted freak! Your left!" a voice, seemingly out of nowhere, called.

What Jounouchi had mistaken for another pile of human trash was a Guardian angel, but certainly not a very important looking one. Its dim golden glimmer waned in comparison to the sun angel's mighty destructive rays.

The Tainted angel twisted around, spirals of black flame spinning. Its shockingly blue eyes ensnared Jounouchi at once.

"Well, would ya look at that," Jounouchi sneered, rising to his clawed white feet. "Bleached and Tainted. We're one of a kind."

The angel showed no recognition. "I have nothing in common with filth no matter how _touched_ it might be."

Jounouchi scowled. "Try again, demon fucker." White lightening flashed in the air between them, faster than sound. The Tainted angel swerved, a trail of black fire launched itself at Jounouchi in its place. Jounouchi skidded backward to avoid the attack.

Now it was just Ryou and the sun angel fighting above. They held a violent stalemate, shadow arms writhing and sun radiating rings of energy. It was the most awesome cataclysmic thing Jounouchi had ever seen in all his battles. The disastrous power weighed heavily on his form as his stood there on human ground.

The Tainted angel had landed as well, fearsome glare trained on his opponent. Jounouchi barred his fangs. And the air screamed as white lightening and black fire crossed. Above them, sky rocked in protest, both shadow and light threatening to overcome the other. The battle was terrible.

_Splat!_

Like a hot, slab of syrup had just slapped him in the face, Jounouchi smelled distinctly angel. His vision went red and then his eyeballs burned. A half a second later, a seething caustic pain started consuming the demon flesh on his face.

"Fucking HELL!" Jounouchi roared, wings thrashing, limbs stumbling blindly. Pain, fucking shit, PAIN! The angel blood scorched his features. But where?! Where the _hell_ had that handful of angel blood come from!?

"Let's see if it likes the taste of _my_ blood," the injured Guardian angel sneered. He had taken a scoop of his old blood out of the open sore in his hip and had thrown it at Jounouchi. "Too bad it's already Bleached, I could have Turned it."

"Your help was unwanted, useless Guardian." The voice of the Tainted angel was cold and full of loathing.

"I did it for Hashmallim, not you, arrogant Principality. So hurry up and do your job, Tainted freak."

'Hashmallim?' The sun angel thing was a Hashmallim? No wonder they were screwed. But Ryou could handle him, right?

Peeling seared, damaged hands away from his eyes, Jounouchi dared to look up, guessing to see the Tainted angel ready to finish him off. But no. The Tainted angel was not looking at him at all. It was facing Ryou with new and dangerous attention.

Before Jounouchi could react, a flash of dark light, unnoticeable under the sun angel's glare, shot up at Ryou. The spell was merger and normally would have done nothing whatsoever but now when Ryou's power and focus were already stretched, it tipped the scales.

Ryou's mighty grip wavered. He wobbled in the air and in that brief moment was completely defenseless.

"Don't mess this up, Hashmallim," the Guardian angel muttered, broken golden wings rippling in the power-filled air.

The sun angel's endless light seemed to build, tighten, intensify as if readying for a final devastating attack. Jounouchi gaped up futilely through the acidic blood in his eyes. His insides turned hollow. He could not stop this. Ryou was going to be hit by that.

'Fuck! Ryou!' Jounouchi would have screamed if angel blood hadn't scarred his mouth useless. 'Fucking hell! Not Ryou!'

It was all going to be over in a second.

And then out of seemingly nowhere came a blur of scarlet, streaking out of the darkness, in between Ryou and his attacker.

There was no doubt in Jounouchi's mind that it was Atemu. And the Bleached demon could not understand for that second why Atemu simply stalled in front of Ryou like that. It was insane. Why jump in front of Ryou in direct fire of the sun angel's wrath? Was he suicidal? Did he think the sun angel would show him mercy? Why?

But his strategy, whatever it was, worked. The sun angel was so distracted by Atemu's entrance that it hesitated for that split second, its surrounding light seemingly froze in the night air.

A split second and no one moved. Jounouchi was amazed. The sun angel did not attack. Jounouchi could not understand why.

Then Ryou's protective shadows jumped off the wall and shifted over both the Great Prince's and Atemu's forms, sucking them into the wall and away from battle.

Jounouchi too felt the unpleasant sensation of a substance colder than ice pulling him down into more and more unfeeling cold. He sighed.

'Damn,' Jounouchi cursed but did not fight the shadow as it pulled him to safety. 'Retreating sucks.'

…)(-)-(Complication)-(-)(…

"Put him on the bed," Yugi ordered Kaiba. The Hashmallim's human face was as pale as paper. His hands trembled like mad on the bottle of angel tears he held.

Kaiba did as instructed and dropped Bakura on Yugi's mattress, even with caution; after all, this wasn't a time for rivalries. "Be cautious, you're energy reserves have already taken a great toil," the Tainted angel advised.

Bakura grunted. "Are you- requesting- he not treat me- freak?"

"Quiet," Yugi hissed, not sparing any energy to scold the two of them. "Bakura, relax." He emptied the bottle of tears into the gaping hole in Bakura's side. The Guardian angel cursed as the mixture of angel tears and blood stung.

The work on Bakura took several hours. Yugi had to take frequent breaks to give his healing powers enough time to regenerate. Battling that demon Prince had taken more out of him than he had expected. Kaiba stood stone still against the wall, overseeing his superior's work.

"This," Yugi breathed, wiping sweat from his brow, "Is the best I can do, for now." Bakura's side was whole once against but the skin was discolored and splotched with red and blue bruises. The Hashmallim inhaled a long slow breath, leaning back in his chair. "I can complete the rest tomorrow evening. We'll just have to wrap him in bandages till then. He should be alright if it's only for one day." It was almost three in the morning human time. Bakura had long since fallen into sleep.

Kaiba, who had not even moved since placing Bakura on the bed, stepped off the wall.

Yugi stared up at his fellow angel, mortal face tired. "How do you think we did, Kaiba-kun? Would you call this a victory?"

"You are the commander, Yugi-sama," Kaiba answered with rigid formality.

Yugi's face wilted. "Am I not allowed to ask your opinion?"

Kaiba turned stiffly away, trench coat hung majestically from his shoulders. "No, I would not call this a victory. We did not assemble in time to protect one of our members whose only existence was saved by the maliciousness of his torturer. Some battle maneuvers were also sloppily executed."

Yugi smiled sourly. "You have not mentioned my moment of hesitation that allowed our enemies to escape."

Kaiba refused look at the Hashmallim. "I'm sure you are quite aware of it."

Yugi did not fail to miss the coldness in Kaiba's tone. The whole room seemed to have gone chilly.

"I'm sorry, Kaiba-kun," Yugi apologized, guilt and pain accompanying his words.

Kaiba said nothing. He left with a swift snap and flash of blue light.

Yugi put his face in his hands.

"I'm so, _so_ sorry…" he moaned. The Hashmallim hunched over on his chair; arms crossed over his stomach, fighting the powerful emotions that threatened to sweep him away.

…)(-)-(Complication)-(-)(…

"_Fuck_ing- of SHIT! That _hurts_, Atemu!" Jounouchi cried. Atemu had smeared a think layer of olive-yellow-colored goo on the sores that engulfed the blonde's face. The gunk was necessary to cancel out the acidic effects of the angel's blood but the pain that accompanied this procedure was so excruciating that Jounouchi's muscles twitched involuntarily.

"Hold still," Atemu ordered, without a hint of compassion. "If I don't get a sufficient amount of this on than you're going to have permanent scaring."

Jounouchi yelped. "Watch it! You got it in my eye!"

Ryou was busy pacing the room. His whole being was jittering with a familiar energy he had not felt since he had begun this mission. He could not stop moving.

Angels. They had found them. _Angels_. They would fight them again; they would have to now. But where? Where were those creatures hiding?

"Three," Ryou muttered to himself, head nodding to the rhythm of his footfalls.

Atemu frowned. "Yes, three."

"You think there are more?" Ryou questioned. All his words were short, cut into slices of breath. If there were more, there would be more angels to fight. More creatures to kill, more waste to… Ryou shook himself.

"I don't know. It's possible, but I don't think so," Atemu responded.

"Shiiiiiiit!" Jounouchi howled.

"I think if there were more they would have sent for them," Atemu concluded.

"But they'll send more, right? Now that we got them matched?" Ryou continued.

'More than matched,' he added to himself. That golden one, that Guardian angel was so weak, Ryou bet even Atemu could beat him easily, especially since he was now injured.

"I don't know," said Atemu evenly.

"Are you even paying attention to where you're spreading that!" Jounouchi barked.

Something in Atemu's tone was odd. Why wasn't he excited? Why wasn't he thrilled at finally locating their prey? Ryou and Atemu had known each other a long time but they had never gone on a mission together before now. Surely now, in the intense heat of conflict, so close to the climax of their mission, Atemu's calm mask should reveal his true battle face.

"Ryou, calm down," Atemu ordered.

The Great Prince spun. Without consciously noticing, Ryou's human body had grown tight and rigid. Wings stretched in their suppressed folds. His pale as bone fingers hooked. His breath was hissing through teeth, rapidly sharpening.

It took a moment for Ryou to shake himself out of this bout of blood lust.

"Sorry," Ryou apologized.

Atemu was not looking at him. His face was turned directly towards Jounouchi's goop laden one though he had already applied a sufficient amount of ointment.

'He is hiding something from me.' Ryou knew this. 'He is purposely not letting me look into his eyes because he knows I will see it!'

"Sure was weird though," Jounouchi growled, cutting in the conversation, "The way that angel just hesitated, huh? You must of really freaked him out, Atemu," the blonde chuckled.

The demon soldier had nothing to say but silence.

Ryou recalled the situation back at the alley all too well. How careless he had been to let Jounouchi handle two angels. Not that Jounouchi wasn't competent. That golden Guardian was just… tricky.

The phone rang. The sound was so human and so blaring that Ryou's first instinct was it tear it out from the wall. Atemu got up and answered the human device.

"Yes?" The caller spoke. "Yeah, it's me." Pause in the conversation. "That… sounds good." Ryou and Jounouchi did not dare to speak. "How about tomorrow? …yes… yeah… good. I'll see you then." Atemu hung up the mortal contraption.

"Who was it?" Jounouchi questioned.

It must have been by accident because when Atemu turned his eyes caught on Ryou's. A pair of large purple eyes and a round young face shown out clear as day through Atemu's human pupils.

Atemu shrugged, strutting off to his room. "No one important."

"Hold on!" Jounouchi stood up, seeing that Atemu was leaving. "How long do I have to leave this crap on?" the blonde demanded.

"An hour," Atemu replied, shutting the door smoothly behind him.

Jounouchi scoffed and slouched onto the couch. "Why does Atemu got to be so damn moody all the time?"

Ryou pondered this as well.

…)(-)-(Complication)-(-)(…

The next day began dull, compared to the excitement of the previous night. The human morning was so normal it seemed unreal, yet the only difference between this morning the all the others was that there was the large bruise hidden beneath layers of cloth on the side of Bakura's hip.

"I can't believe you're making me sit here," the disguised Guardian angel growled, lying slouched on the couch in front of the television.

Yugi knotted a scarf around his neck. "You can survive one day," he assured.

Bakura was irritated. "I know his scent. That diseased one. That royalty."

"Which won't do us any good until you're healthy again," Yugi finished.

"I can find him," Bakura snapped.

Yugi pulled on a glove. "I know you can."

Bakura rotated himself so that he was leaning on the cushioned armrest, glaring fiercely at his superior. "We should strike now, before they have time to recover."

Yugi was not looking at his friend. "_We_ need to recover."

"They're thinking the same thing. If they find us while we're sitting here dawdling away-"

"Bakura!" The High Hashmallim turned on him. His words were wobbling on the edge of a command. But Yugi knew he didn't have the strength to order Bakura, no way in Hell. "Enough. I am not moving until _all_ of us are better. We all need to be at full strength when we face them again."

"Like my skill would turn the tables," Bakura argued. "My only use is tracking, which I can do in this condition."

"_No_!" Yugi's voice was shrill. His human skin was pale. His little gloved hands were clutching at his coat in desperation to hold onto something.

Bakura could smell fear on him, mingled with something bitter? Guilt? Sorrow?

It took a few moments for Yugi to collect himself. "I am in command of this mission and I say we wait until tomorrow," Yugi stated, though his words were unsteady. "The sides are too well matched as it is. We must all be ready…" Yugi paused, then turned away.

Bakura frowned. "Where are you going?"

Yugi examined his gloves. "Out," he admitted. His voice was much softer.

"_Where_?" Bakura insisted.

Yugi moved towards the door. "It's nothing important." And then he walked out the door and left.

Bakura snorted and collapsed back down on the couch. The TV was annoying. Human things did not interest him at that moment. He only had one thing in mind. That spicy flavor of disease.

He had found himself a demon. He knew the scent. No matter what form the Prince might be in that scent would follow him. Bakura had the advantage. He could take the thing by surprise. Yugi wasn't even in the house to accompany him.

The plan was too perfect.

Oh and a Prince. A Prince of Hell. His luck was just too good.

"Screw this!" Bakura barked at the human building, at the mortal things around him. He marched downstairs and snatched his coat from its hanger.

The Guardian angel charged outside, kicking through the layer of snow that had accumulated during the night. It was fucking cold and the air was bitter but Bakura didn't care. He was going to find that monster, that spice. No confrontation yet, but at least Bakura could find out who the monster's disguise was, perhaps even where it lived…

If he could do that, he'd show those bastards.

And at that moment Bakura could, and was, referring to every "bastard" possible.

…)(-)-(Complication)-(-)(…

Jounouchi wasn't allowed to leave the house. The angel blood that had marred his eyes last night had left a dark stain across his face and his sight was still blurry. Atemu was confident he could get rid of the final scarring with a few more days. Until then the blonde was anchored to the apartment with an "upset stomach." That was the story.

Atemu and Ryou were out, doing hell knows what. Probably more fraternizing with their humans. 'You'd think that a battle with our enemies would bring them back to reality,' Jounouchi cursed in frustration.

In the midst of his boredom the phone rang.

Jounouchi yanked the phone to his ear. "Yeah?" he answered, grinding his teeth.

"Idiot?" the caller stated.

Jounouchi stopped pacing, stopped thinking, stopped breathing. Jounouchi's gut might have, almost, mushed. It took the blonde longer than it should have to identify the voice.

"…Kaiba?" he questioned.

"You sound so uncertain."

Normally it wouldn't have taken Jounouchi that long to recognize Kaiba's voice. It was just that he never _ever_ expected the bastard to actually break through his bastardly ways and actually _call_. Jounouchi sank into the nearby couch, his self-assurance crumbling like fucking bread. Even the harshness in the rich bastard's voice made the blonde spin.

"Ah… you're calling me," Jounouchi stated uselessly, his voice lacked substance. _No_, that did not mean weak.

'Why is he calling me?' the blonde wracked his brain, knocking himself repetitively on the head. Kaiba had called _him_. At _his_ home? How did Kaiba even know his number?

"Yes," Kaiba grunted. What? No insult? No sarcastic attitude? What was going on? By the tone in the bastard's voice, Jounouchi couldn't even tell if Kaiba was pissed at him or not.

'What have I done now?'

Maybe Kaiba just wanted to talk…?

Somehow, Jounouchi couldn't bring himself to make a joke out of this statement.

"Ah… how are you?" Jounouchi attempted vaguely. "Still head of that… company thing?"

Kaiba ignored Jounouchi lame attempts to begin ordinary conversation. "You are slacking off, as usual. I had expected to hear from you by now."

Jounouchi was totally lost. It was like Kaiba was accusing him of something. "Ah, yeah…" Jounouchi ran a hand through his thick hair, pacing the length of the small apartment. Kaiba had expected to hear from him? He had been _expecting_ it? What did that mean? Had they had some sort of arrangement? Had Kaiba been anticipating hearing Jounouchi's voice?

"I thought you would call everyday, or at least wait diligently by the phone for my answer. Are you no longer concerned with your health? I didn't know you were so undependable."

'My health?' Jounouchi pondered. Yes… it was coming back to him now. The last time he had gone over to Kaiba's fancy-ass mansion they had had that oh-so-interesting conversation about that night in the car, the one neither of them could remember. So there was no way to tell if they had or had not had… except…

'Oh yeah. AIDS.' Jounouchi smacked himself on the side of his head. The battle last night had wiped all his previous human cares from his mind. But did it matter now if his human skin caught a disease? How long would he actually have to live with it before they were all called back to hell? Now that they had met the angels it wouldn't be long.

"I, ah, got busy," Jounouchi grumbled. "Yeah, you're not the only one around here with important work to do, you know."

"A work that even the slacker finds important. How extraordinary," Kaiba commented.

There it was. Same old ass Kaiba. It was reassuring to hear from him. This new non-insulting-non-sarcastic bastard was creepy.

"I have my moments," Jounouchi admitted cockily.

"Indeed," Kaiba responded. Was Kaiba's voice lighter? "Normally I would not concern myself with your affairs but you were so rabidly obsessed about it before."

"Rabid? The dog insults are getting a little old, don't you think?" Jounouchi barked.

A chuckle. Jounouchi had made Kaiba laugh. That _never_ happened. It must have been a glitch in rich bastard's programming.

"Do you want to know your test results or not?" Kaiba questioned.

Jounouchi flopped backwards on the couch, the ceiling of his apartment glaring at him from above. Did he want to know? Did he really need to know? If Kaiba never told him, he could live the rest of his human life in blissful ignorance.

Then again, the fact that Kaiba knew now how far they had gone in that limo irritated Jounouchi. If the brunette bastard knew, he had to know too.

"Spit it out," Jounouchi conceded, squeezing his eyes shut and bracing himself for the news, whatever it may be. His teeth clenched. In that second Jounouchi did not breathe.

"Congratulations," Kaiba announced dryly, "You are a healthy human being."

Jounouchi opened his eyes. The ceiling above him was boring. He had not allowed himself to breathe yet.

"No AIDS?" Jounouchi asked.

"Your blood was clean," Kaiba stated.

Jounouchi's jaw hurt from clenching it so long. No AIDS. That was good news. For the little time he was in his human shell he would not have to worry about countless medications or his health status. He would have no more reasons to avoid human doctors poking and prodding at his fake mortal flesh. He would…

Jounouchi sat up from the couch so fast that his skull ached.

"My blood was _clean_?" the blonde repeated, sounding a little more incredulous than he had wanted to. "You're sure?"

"I do have the most qualified medical technologists in the country on my payroll. No matter how incompetently they perform their _other_ tasks, I will trust their judgment in this matter," Kaiba answered.

Jounouchi did not speak. He could not believe that Kaiba's doctors had not noticed! During their tests, hadn't they seen something strange? Jounouchi knew humans were dull but they had had a vial of _demon_ blood in their hands! Hadn't they noticed anything? Were mortals _that_ blind?

"You found _nothing_ odd?" Jounouchi almost smacked himself for asking twice, three times now. It must have sounded suspicious.

"Nothing," Kaiba remarked.

Jounouchi fell back upon the couch again. He had thought Kaiba would ask him millions of questions after examining his blood, his Higher Being blood. He had thought he would have to deal with Kaiba holding his secret over his head forever. But he had freaked out over nothing. Perhaps human instruments were not advanced enough yet to notice the unearthly properties.

"I thought that you might be a little discouraged to hear the news, but even I never conceived that you would be _this_ dissatisfied," Kaiba commented mildly, a hint of something like amusement in his tone.

Jounouchi paused. "What?" His mind was still wrapped around the vial of demon blood that was still in Kaiba's hands, in the hands of all those doctors. Should he ask for his blood back? Would that seem too suspicious?

"I don't think you're comprehending the seriousness of the disease or else you might not be asking so desperately for it," Kaiba continued with that was same damn bloody smugness.

"What in Hell are you talking about?" Jounouchi questioned frustratingly.

"You're disappointment," Kaiba commented, "that you don't have AIDS."

Jounouchi opened his mouth for more accusations, then he hesitated and he got Kaiba's oh-so-damn-subtle meaning. The human flesh on the blonde's face flamed.

"What I- you- that's NOT what- oh fuck, clean out your head!" Jounouchi stumbled violently. His hand slipped so far on the receiver he had to move his grip and clamp the phone to his ear. "I'm NOT thinking about _that_!"

"Really?" And Jounouchi could hear the damn smirk in this voice through the wire. He could hear it!

"Yeah, _really_!" Jounouchi demanded. "I was thinking about something completely different!"

"I should hope so," said Kaiba, with that fucking smirk in his voice!

"You bet your ass I was," Jounouchi swore shakily. Determined to change the subject his brain fumbled for a new topic. "I'm surprised your doctors didn't find anything else. I thought these guys were actually supposed to be good, being selected by you and all." And the blonde could have smacked himself again and again for that bloody comment.

"Find anything else?" the rich boy questioned.

Jounouchi ran his hand through his hair so fast that white electric sparks jumped from his fingers because of the friction. "If you don't remember, I ain't gonna tell you," he snapped, now skidding away from the conversation with vigor.

"Ah yes, your condition, wasn't it?" Kaiba mused as he hit the nail on the head. "Your specialty. Your defect."

Jounouchi could imagine the rich boy's fingers woven together and placed against his long throat. And those eyes. Thank GOD this was over the phone! Jounouchi didn't think he could have handled those god-forsaken, beautiful, blue, teasing…

'Bastard's mocking me,' Jounouchi thought with hatred.

"You can be assured that these tests did not reveal your secret. Society will have to wait for another prime opportunity to expose your abnormality."

Jounouchi scrunched his eyebrows. "Was that a joke, Kaiba?"

"Don't be absurd," the bastard replied.

Jounouchi rubbed his forehead, his brain aching. A joke. A fucking joke. The two of them had gone off the deep end together.

"If you do not wish to take my word for it, you can come examine the results yourself," Kaiba suggested, "That is, if you can interrupt the findings through all the medical jargon."

That wasn't a totally ridiculous idea. Jounouchi considered it.

And then his mind clicked and, once again, he discovered the bastard's true meaning. Kaiba had just invited him… over his house. Kaiba had… oh fuck. The area below his abdomen thudded. But the bastard was just teasing. That's all it was. He didn't actually expect Jounouchi to come. Not Kaiba. No way in the Kingdom of Hell.

"Y-yeah, you wish," Jounouchi choked. Why was he so damn flustered!

Kaiba snorted as though it was a joke, because it was! Fuck it, it was!

Jounouchi sunk down into the seat of the musty couch. The back of his head ached. And then the worst Jounouchi had feared happened. Fucking silence. Kaiba wasn't saying a word. Now both parties knew the awkwardness of the bastard's seemingly innocent request. Jounouchi wanted to scream.

"Damn, and I thought I understood you," Jounouchi grumbled, more out of regret than anything.

"I suppose we are both destined to be disappointed today."

'What do you have to be disappointed over?' Jounouchi questioned but decided to keep this thought to himself.

"So those are two of your three secrets, right? AIDS and Mokuba," Jounouchi observed.

Yes, he had said the forbidden word. Mokuba. Why? Who knew. Maybe this new Kaiba would answer him. Maybe it would be ok because now they were sorta even, secret to secret. But the bastard remained silent. The end of the phone that stuck in Jounouchi's keen ear buzzed.

"When will I learn your third?" Jounouchi said, because he could.

"If you knew, I would have to kill you."

And still Jounouchi had to laugh because that was how he coped with the awkwardness. "I think you really mean that."

Kaiba did not answer.

Was that it? Was that all they could to talk about? Jounouchi groaned silently. Was that even possible to have a good conversation with Kaiba? But it had been pleasant at the beginning, right? Had he screwed up again? Fuck, what a dammed idiot he was!

"Yeah… well," Jounouchi began, planning the put the damn phone call thing out of its misery. "I'm sure your quite busy with… you know, business."

"Quite," the remark was tight, like the muscles that surrounded Jounouchi's stomach.

"Yeah…" Jounouchi's free hand balled itself into a tight fist that sat on his gut like a stone. Disheartened and now very moody, Jounouchi set his jaw. "I suppose, you have to go."

There was no audible reply. Jounouchi exhaled through his nose.

"Seeya, Kaiba," Jounouchi dismissed harshly and was a second from hanging up when the bastard finally spoke.

"Your results are sitting on my desk," Kaiba mentioned.

Jounouchi paused, brain processing. "Results?"

"The blood test results, idiot," Kaiba clarified matter-of-factly as though Jounouchi's one-sided, awkward and uncomfortable had never happened. "I don't know why you would want to look at them yourself but they are here, whenever you feel so inclined."

Jounouchi's ribs expanded. The clenched fist on his stomach flattened into a palm. Kaiba, Kaiba, Kaiba. Something in Jounouchi's gut stung. And it was a mortal hurt. "I supposed, I'll have to look then. Got to make sure you're not cheating me, right?"

"Whatever you wish," Kaiba replied.

'Whatever I wish?' Jounouchi thought silently and the couch seemed to squish. What kind of a response was that? 'Why can't you ever give me a straight answer, bastard?'

"I'd like that, Kaiba," said Jounouchi, playing along with Kaiba's cryptic world.

Kaiba grunted. "I'm not sure I know what you are referring to, idiot."

Jounouchi let out a harsh laugh.

* * *

…)(-)-(Complication)-(-)(…

* * *

Super impressive, ne? What do you think? Was my battle scene ok? Could you understand everything? That was going on? Did it move quickly enough?

Of the people who have read my story already (my blood relation and my beta (GODSENT BETA!! (Love you))) they have both mentioned one point that they were confused about: what makes a character's demon or angel self different from his human self? Well kiddles, it's quite simple.

THE TRUTH: I really hate explaining things so I haven't thought about that stuff too much. I also haven't put much thought into what all of the character's Higher Being selves look like (except like Ryou and Yugi… and Kaiba and Jounouchi (because they are Tainted and Bleached)… Bakura and Atemu have low power levels and therefore their forms are pretty unimpressive anyway). But no one should be satisfied with that answer, (I'm certainly not) so here you go…

THE BS: Higher Beings are from a different plain of existence. They are not physical, they are metaphysical. Hence why they do not reproduce as humans do. Therefore, without a body and skin and bone structure, a character's Higher Being self looks very different from one's human self. Plus the Higher Being self has wings.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM THE HUGE PARAGRAPHS ABOVE: Characters cannot recognize each other's human/Higher Being form.

Please tell me if you have questions or if anything was confusing. (bows)

NEXT CHAPTER!: Yugi and Atemu have a _conversation_. Bakura's certainly finds his demon, and it's hunting him down.

**REVIEW!!**

SO MUCH EXCITEMENT!! Btw, LOVE NEXT CHAPTER!! Yes!

**REVIEW AGAIN!! **


	19. Stimulation

I know. With a chapter title like this how can this chapter not be epic? Seriously.

My roomie started playing Kingdom Hearts. (sniff) I'm so proud.

Roxas, if you're out there. This one's for you.

**

* * *

**

Chyaputa 19: Stimulation

1. to rouse to action or effort, as by encouragement or pressure; spur on; incite

2. the effect of a stimulus to excite (a nerve, gland, etc.) to its functional activity.

3. mutual sexual fondling prior to sexual intercourse: foreplay

* * *

It was a beautiful day. Glittering white, new-fallen snow decorated lawns and rooftops. Even in downtown Domino, the skyscrapers and shops had a pure layer of icing, and piles of the white powder lined every sidewalk and doorway.

The weather was about the only thing that felt beautiful.

Atemu passed into the coffee shop and there inside, sitting at a table in the corner, was the last beautiful thing in this mundane human world. The beautiful thing's cheeks and nose glowed red from the biting winter air.

Yugi must have been watching the door, for the moment Atemu passed through the threshold of the shop those large purple eyes were on him. Pink-touched lips parted in a silent greeting. Atemu could barely manage a nod. He made his way over to his boyfriend's table; a spike, like an inconvenient thorn in his conscience, jerked with each step that he took. When he reached the table Yugi stood from his chair, his eyes shinning.

They stepped towards each and with silent recognition, simultaneously leaned forward and touched their cold-chapped lips together.

Then each took their place at opposite ends of the table.

For once in his life, Atemu looked down at his hands.

"Do you…" Yugi's words were shrill and pressed, "Want something? Like a coffee or…" he clarified.

"No, I…" Atemu spoke and then breathed in the middle of his response, "I'm fine."

He didn't want to order a drink. He didn't want any more ties to this coffee shop then he already had.

Yugi nodded.

Silence sat on them like the plague. The analogy didn't really fit.

Atemu had to start. It was expected. "There are some problems…"

Yugi looked up.

"…at home," Atemu finished.

Yugi's brow wrinkled in worry. "What kind of problems?" he asked curiously.

Atemu sighed. Yugi was so innocent. "Family complications."

"Oh," Yugi acknowledged. There was a pause. "Is it serious?"

Atemu could have laughed, but he didn't. "Yes. Very serious." A cloud of emotion passed over Yugi's expression though his frame remained still.

'What am I doing?' Atemu asked. This was not the time to be questioning himself. He was already half through his excuse. He had rehearsed what he would say a dozen times, a thousand times while he had lied in bed last night, while he had gotten dressed this morning, while he had walked to this very shop. His decision had been made a long time ago.

Yugi was not an idiot. His tiny soft hands closed upon themselves.

Once started, a break up process could not be undone.

"I think… we need some space," said Atemu.

Yugi spoke silence.

Atemu did not wish to elaborate but felt obligated to because he had broached the awful suggestion. "I think… we need to…"

"Yeah," Yugi stopped Atemu from having to repeat his words. Yugi was just naturally courteous like that.

Silence bit the air, broke the pleasant view out the shop's wide windows, hurt Atemu's will. Other customers and café employees went about their business unsuspecting.

Atemu was looking at the surface table so it was only until Yugi sobbed that he noticed a change. That weak sound shattered Atemu like porcelain.

Atemu saw Yugi bent head, his rigid arms and his quivering chin. As though he couldn't control it, Atemu's hand jumped across the table and landed on Yugi's wrist.

Yugi released another sob and Atemu saw with a jolt the silver droplets crowding the edges of his beautiful purple eyes.

"Don't cry," Atemu pleaded.

Yugi stared and then released a choking laugh, more like a gasp for oxygen than anything else. Then put the hand Atemu was not currently holding up to his face to shield the tears.

The two of them sat there in that coffee shop for too long. Yugi sniffling as he dutifully held back crying; that soft hand did not move from in front of his eyes. Atemu's and Yugi's hands were clasped across the expanse of table top; their grip grew sweaty with each passing second.

Finally Yugi numbingly dropped the hand that covered his face and it revealed red-clouded eyes and a rosy nose.

Yugi's face had always been transparent.

That motion had signaled a shift in the conversation.

"I'll go," Atemu said because it was necessary.

Yugi's quivering mouth did not speak. Maybe it couldn't. All Atemu knew was that he had to get out of there or else he too would be fighting tears spilling over his careful emotional boundaries.

Their two sweaty hands released.

Atemu got up from the table and was halfway across the shop, two steps from the door when…

"Atemu," Yugi called.

Atemu turned because he could not stop himself.

Yugi had a strange sour light in his gaze. "After your family problems, after that's all over… do you think… we could try again?"

Atemu stared. He felt limp. Yugi would not take his eyes off of him until he got an answer. He was so determined they might wait there forever.

How optimistic Yugi was. Didn't he understand how foolish he sounded? How impossible his request was? On how fragile the foundations of this promise would stand?

"Yes," Atemu answered because some of Yugi's unrelenting hopefulness had infected his being. "I'll find you, after it all."

Yugi smiled and that shattered Atemu like glass. "We'll find each other."

Atemu left the shop at a run.

...)(-)-(Stimulation)-(-)(...

Bakura left the game shop on foot. Yes, he walked on his two mortal legs down frozen and sometimes unpaved paths. His jeans were encrusted with snow up over the knee as he trudged down street after street. Out of habit he followed the bus route, exiting the peaceful neighborhoods and approaching the busier section of town that would eventually morph into downtown Domino.

More population. More chances that scent of spice would past under his nose.

Bakura was in the center of a crosswalk when his nostrils, raw from their extra exposure to the freezing elements, caught something. Bakura's steps quickened. He could not tell yet whether the scent was the one he was looking for, but it was definitely inhuman.

In two blocks Bakura identified the smell as the familiar one that had stood over him in that dark alley last night, the one that had torn his flesh. A shiver of cold remembrance crawled up his spine. Dared he get closer to find the source? Could he catch a glimpse of his enemy without getting caught himself?

Then as his blood churned Bakura spotted the gray impressive school building, its black gates locked for the winter holiday.

"_The Council managed to track down the energy supply to somewhere in this city, specifically in the area around Domino High School…"_

Bakura gripped the cold metallic the school gates, stuck his feet in corner of two cross bars, and climbed swiftly over the obstruction.

The moment he hit the asphalt, the demonic smell doubled. The next second it tripled.

Crap. This was a little more than he could handle.

He no longer had to rely on smell, Bakura could feel the thing's presence pressing down upon him.

His feet crashed against pavement. Bakura flew around the outside of the school building as frozen winter air slammed his face. His senses were drunk with that spicy aroma, decaying as a poisonous aftertaste.

What to do. Run? Hide? No, he had to find the thing first. It would not recognize Bakura in his human form. He had to discover its identity. He was too close now to give up.

Feet could not touch the sidewalk, the soles of Bakura's sneakers skidding on the icy surface of the concrete. _Damn_ that scent was strong! It saturated his mouth so much that Bakura was getting dizzy.

The demon must have been right on top of him. Not far. Not far…

Bakura spun around a corner.

And there was Ryou, stand like a marble statue in Bakura's frantic sea of panic.

He looked surprised to see the angel. "Bakura-kun, what are you doing at school?" Ryou inquired.

But Bakura was not listening. Ryou. The human. Ryou could not be here. Didn't that idiotic human have enough awareness of the danger around him? Couldn't he sense at least a fraction of the spice that was so strong to Bakura's senses?

The monster's presence fluctuated. Was it giving up? Turning around?

Changing targets?

That's when fear invaded Bakura's heart. The ignorant human.

Without rational thought, Bakura wrenched open the nearest door to the school, grabbed Ryou by the shoulders and shoved him bodily inside the building.

"Bakura-kun, what are you doing?" Ryou exclaimed, stumbling to find footing in the pitch-dark room. It was small, that was all Bakura could tell; all six of his senses were currently occupied with that spicy phantom that hovered above the building, right outside the door…

He had abandoned his search of the monster to safeguard Ryou. Already he was regretting his decision. But he didn't want… he couldn't have Ryou dead. Any other human would be fine, but not Ryou. Just not Ryou.

There was a clinking and a rattle and then light washed over the scene from a hanging yellow lamp. Bakura had to blink repeatedly for his eyes to adjust to the artificial light. They were in a cleaning closet, the janitor's room. Several mops and brooms were stacked in a corner while shelves of cleaning solutions covered the walls.

"Bakura-kun."

There was a cool hand on Bakura's face.

The monster rippled.

"Bakura-kun, what's going on? You look pale. Is everything alright?" Ryou asked. "What's going on?"

Ryou couldn't know. Bakura wouldn't allow it.

An excuse. He needed an excuse. Why would two teenagers humans hide in a closet?

Yes…

Ryou's large brown eyes were very, _very_ close. It was hard not to be in this very, _very_ tiny room.

Not loosing a second, Bakura took Ryou's head in his grasp and devoured his mouth.

Ryou pulled away, shaking his head. "Bakura-kun, s-should we be doing this? On school property?"

The monster growled.

Bakura reached forward, dug a hand into Ryou's thick hair, tugging his human boyfriend forward. "Yes."

Ryou's mouth stiffened, hesitated, then relaxed. Conceding.

Bakura praised himself. He knew if he divulged his senses completely and utterly in this human activity, his angelic signal was would become dimmer simply by distraction. He survival depended on the frail, adolescent human clinging to him.

'Basics… small,' he reminded himself.

That complicated process began all over again. Small, small, sweet. Ryou's mouth. Had it always tasted so sour? And so warm. And wet. Ryou's mouth was wet. Bakura grazed Ryou's lip with his teeth. Ryou's nose released a puff of pleased air. His mouth opened a little bit more and Bakura took the invitation.

Bakura's plan was working. The monster's presence was growing fainter.

The process was faster than last time. Bakura sped through steps. Both hands were on Ryou's head. Ryou hands were somewhere on his shoulders. Their heavy outer coats and scarves made it hard to get close to one another. Should he really be thinking about where his hands were when he was kissing Ryou? Was that important?

Bakura bit Ryou's lip in irritation. The other flinched but didn't pull away. The Guardian took his boyfriend's tongue as his captive. Ryou had to fight to get it back. Bakura's head was practically sideways to achieve the most contact. His mouth was so wide his jaw hurt but tongues were soft and slid precariously around sharp teeth.

Bakura's mind flashed back to first time he had seen kissing on TV.

"_He looks like his trying to eat her!"_

That description fit. It was exactly how it felt, like he was eating Ryou, or tying to and failing, never to actually let his teeth sink into flesh.

Flesh?

Kissing was all well and good but how far could one explore with just kissing? Bakura was already getting bored.

Sore, sticky lips peeled apart with gasping breaths. The air between them was hot. Ryou's flushed face gave a nervous smile amongst his light panting.

Oh yeah, they weren't finished yet.

Bakura moved towards Ryou's neck.

"Hold on," Ryou reassured and he reached for his coat zipper.

He removed his winter coat. And then his sweatshirt.

It was the thinnest T-shirt Bakura had ever seen.

Ryou leaned closer. "You too." His pale fingers brushed Bakura's stomach as they took off Bakura's winter coat. Bakura had no sweatshirt to take off. There was no need for extra clothing. By now the janitor's room was quite warm.

Bakura yanked Ryou back into his arms. Their T-shirts and jeans were the only barriers that kept their mortal flesh from colliding. Bakura's hollow body rung with the vibrations.

Without the awkwardness of excess clothing, it was surprising how much Bakura could feel, or how much he tried to feel. Kisses were new and so fierce Ryou made little anxious noises in his throat. Bakura loved it. He nibbled Ryou's soft ear lobe but soon moved on because that part did not interest him. Ryou's neck however…

And about those hands…

Bakura's hands slid down Ryou's neck. That was nice, Ryou let out a shudder. But where to put his master hands…? Eventually they settled on Ryou's ribs, so he could measure Ryou's chest as it moved up and down as he breathed. Ryou's hands wove into Bakura's hair. The pale teenager had to lean back to give Bakura room to navigate the expanse of his neck with delectable teeth.

Ryou _loved_ that. His throat gurgled with little sighs and moans.

_Pound._

'Wondered when I'd be hearing from you again,' Bakura cursed. His legs trembled in recognition of his growing _problem_. A thin stretch of fear still remained from his last encounter with it. But Yugi had said it wasn't a defect. But what if Ryou noticed? What would he think?

_Pound._

The closet was getting very, _very_ warm.

For some unknown impulse, Bakura reached up carelessly and with one finger, pulled the stray chain to turn off the hanging light. The closet dove into darkness as if to say, "No more sight. Only feeling, taste and smell…"

And could Bakura _smell_ Ryou. It was like being surrounded by the essence of lovely lying mortal.

Bakura couldn't stand that layer of material between them. It was too hot for that now. Clothing got in the way. Without it, Bakura knew he'd be able to feel every part of Ryou.

_Pound._

Bakura ignored _it_. Or tried to. But he didn't want to.

So he grasped Ryou's hips and he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do with them but he's think of something.

And that was when he felt it.

Across the width of two pairs of jeans, was another _hard problem_. Ryou's _problem_. And _it_ was nudging Bakura's own _problem_.

_Pound._

Bakura did not need to see Ryou's face to know that his boyfriend felt it as well.

Ryou gasped. And Bakura lost all sense of fear.

Feet stumbled over each other. Bakura's hand found a wall, shoved the assorted mops and brooms to the floor, and pressed Ryou up against it. Two hips centered on top of one another. Two pelvic bones crushed against each other.

At his neck, Bakura distinctly heard Ryou give a high hum.

And throughout it all Bakura knew these were human feelings. He knew he should be disgusted by the coat of sweat on his human skin, by the ugly expressions his face made during this interaction. He knew he should be revolted by the fact that he found pleasure in primitive, animal desires. This courtship was at the core of what he hated most about humans. He was being consumed by the very human shell that sickened him. Consumed by Ryou. Sour-smelling Ryou, wet-mouthed Ryou…

Bakura was a slave to chemicals of the human body. Everything was so hot. Both his and Ryou's breathing had increased, gasping as though they were drowning. Bakura squeezed Ryou against the wall; their two _problems_ stung as they met. The pale teenager whined. The pressure and fiction exploded between them. Tension. Frustration.

This was torture.

_Pou-nd._

Bakura flinched. Oh. He had forgotten that part.

"_You won't have to worry about that. Higher Beings can't mate, or have human sex."_

Damn. He had felt it. That pang of revulsion that struck out from his center. His angelic center. It snapped at his limbs and rattled them. His golden wings shook against their casings.

Shit. He pushed Ryou into the wall again, trying to distract his body though he knew it was futile. How much longer could he last?

...)(-)-(Stimulation)-(-)(...

Bakura's lips were hot but his teeth were cold. Cold like metal blades that teased Ryou's skin.

One bite.

That was all Ryou wanted. His human skin still yearned for Bakura's heat and skill, but his mind had long since given way to selfish, sticky fantasies of red, red blood and ripped veins.

'Stop it!' Ryou cried. His hands clutched Bakura's hips, urging and guiding the friction between their two hard-ons. But it would not last. It could not. Ryou was a demon. He had been impressed that Bakura had picked up on sexual maneuvers so quickly, but it didn't matter. None of this would matter given a few more seconds.

Nothing would come from this meeting together. As a human, Bakura would not get what he desired. But as a demon…

Ryou had already been excited for quite some time. His demon instincts frolicked in that vibrant heat and passion provided by his human senses, but it would wait no longer.

Oh, but when Bakura had bit his tongue! When Bakura had dragged his fangs across the weak human skin at Ryou's neck… _that_ had been agony!

'One bite,' Ryou pleaded. No, he begged. 'Just one bite from you. If you would only break the skin, please…'

But Bakura was human! Human! He would not drink. He would not take pleasure in draining Ryou. He would not taste as good as…

But he had to! He was Bakura! He was amazing! He was everything!

Ryou cursed his human delusions.

Ryou's fingers clung to Bakura's hips for support.

Perhaps… one taste would satisfy his demon senses?

Ryou tilted his head to the side and flicked his swollen tongue at the underside of Bakura's chin.

His demon instincts roared.

'I can't!' Ryou screamed as he let out an extra gasp for Bakura. 'He's _human_! _Human_!' But Ryou had drained that harpy woman after he had turned her human. 'I can't drain _him_! Anyone but _him_!' Ryou protested.

But that harpy lady had tasted like crap. Humans all did.

'Then… just a small taste. I will know then that he is nothing more that human and then won't want to drink from him anymore,' Ryou reasoned.

Nothing more than human? Ryou wanted to scream. Surely Bakura was more… Surely Bakura was everything…

But there were those human attachments again.

'One bite,' it had been decided.

Immediately Ryou's body lurched in anticipation. He dared to touch the tiniest sliver of his demonic self. Bakura would not notice if he only tapped into a small amount, just enough to enjoy that one mouthful… Ryou's wings jolted, knocking against his bones. He could feel himself stretching. His teeth became heavy and long, half-formed fangs. His fingers hooked.

Ryou positioned his teeth at the softest spot of Bakura's neck.

His claws grasped Bakura's hip. Excited.

A cry of pain.

Ryou flinched. The stench of blood was in the air.

Bakura grunted with obvious hurt and jumped away from Ryou.

"Bakura-kun!" Ryou cried.

'But I haven't even bitten him yet…' Ryou told himself.

Nonetheless the sounds of Bakura's strained, hollow panting resonated on the walls of the cleaning closet.

Ryou's hand jumped up to the overhead light.

Bakura must have heard the chain clink. "_Don't_!" he ordered but it was too late.

The light was on and there was Bakura. Leaning against the opposite wall of the closet, against a shelf of blue-liquid cleaning supplies, with dark blood seeping from his left hip.

Hip? Ryou had been clutching Bakura's hips just a moment ago. Had he gripped them too hard? Had he released too much of his demon self so that his clawed fingers pierced Bakura's skin? But there seemed to be so much blood; crimson spread to almost Bakura's entire pant leg.

Then the smell of the drink sunk into Ryou's senses.

It was putrid.

Ryou knew that human blood wasn't nearly as tasty as demon blood but he had never met a human whose blood stank this bad. It was tart and bitter, like… like…

Despite the horrible smell, Ryou needed to help. "Here, I'll-" Ryou reached for his boyfriend.

"Don't!" Bakura ordered.

And when their eyes met. Bakura's thoughts exploded into Ryou's head.

Ryou froze because he saw the undeniable truth there.

'Angel…? Angel blood?'

Ryou was numb.

"Stay back!" Bakura demanded fiercely. He groped from the doorknob and swung the door open. Winter air and blinding natural light kicked Ryou in the face. The demon's head fluttered. The foul scent. The rank, too-familiar acidic smell wafted from Bakura, poisoning the air.

On impulse, Ryou said, "Bakura-kun… Why…?"

Bakura stumbled backwards, out onto the human sidewalk. "Ryou…" He looked desperate and in pain, "I have to go."

Ryou did nothing.

Bakura began to edge down the sidewalk, making his exit. Then he halted, hesitated and grabbed Ryou's hand.

His eyes were dark, dark as he said, "Trust me." And then Bakura left a kiss on Ryou's frail lips before dashing off down the walk.

Ryou did nothing.

...)(-)-(Stimulation)-(-)(...

Atemu was on his way back to the apartment on the human public transportation vehicle when a horrible sound broke through his previously occupied thoughts.

A tremor of emotion quite horrible.

Atemu wasn't sure what it was but he knew _who_ it was and that made him jump off that bus, almost before the driver could open the door for him.

He landed outside the front gates of his human high school.

That terrible wail called out again.

Atemu ran toward the adolescent education center and, with even more vigorous haste, swung himself over the school gate.

He did not have to look long for Ryou; the sounds of his suffering could be heard from across the yard.

Atemu ran around the school wall to the back of the building and there he found his friend, kneeling in the white snow.

Crying.

Atemu didn't know how much emotion he could take in one day. First Yugi then Ryou…

God. _Ryou._ Crying.

Ryou screaming.

Atemu rushed forward and as he did so his shoes slipped on something slick on the concrete. Something slick and dark that stained the nearby piles of paved snow but he could not think about that now.

Atemu dropped down beside his friend; the slush soaked the knees of his pants.

"Ryou," Atemu urged and placed an arm over Ryou's shoulders.

The white-haired demon's whole body was trembling, wailing, screaming. Both of his pale hands were clamped over his eyes, leaving his mouth exposed and open to spill woe onto Atemu's ears. The nails dug into Ryou's forehead and cheeks. His friend's sorrow hurt Atemu's conscious mind with blow after grieving blow.

"What happened?" Atemu requested.

Ryou's body crumbled into Atemu's hold.

"He's a-" gasp, "He's a-" gasp, "He's a-" Ryou begged for oxygen.

Atemu pulled Ryou's face upward. His hands were on top of his friend's. "Ryou," Atemu spoke, "I'm going to pull your hands away. Don't fight me."

Ryou closed his mouth to swallow.

Atemu's fingertips slid under Ryou's clamped hands and pried them away from his face.

A rush of milky white liquid coated Atemu's fingers.

"Shit!" he cursed. "Close your mouth, Ryou!" Atemu ordered too harshly. Ryou obeyed, jaw wobbling. White dripped down Ryou's cheeks, dribbled down his chin and into the seal of Ryou's pale lips before Atemu could clean the mess up with the sleeves of his winter coat.

Atemu never thought Ryou could produce so many tears. In all their lifetimes together, he had never even seen Ryou release a single one.

Angel tears were the universe's perfect medicine, while demon tears were the universe's perfect poison. If one drop got into Ryou's nose or his ear or his mouth, he would die. And not just mortally.

Atemu stuffed the cuff of his sleeve in between Ryou's cracked lips.

"It should be ok, spit just in case," Atemu instructed.

Ryou spat into the snow and then he began to cry again.

"No, Ryou, no, listen to me! You have to stop this!" Atemu demanded, unwrapping his scarf from around his neck and placing it at the ready beneath Ryou's eyelids.

"I _can't_!" Ryou screamed and thrust himself forward so that his face dug into Atemu's chest. "I _can't_! He's a- He's a-"

"Who?" Atemu questioned, positioning his scarf across the bridge of Ryou's nose. "Who did this to you?"

"B-Ba-Bakura…" Ryou moaned through the knitted material of Atemu's scarf. "Bakura…" he repeated as though he couldn't believe it.

Immediate, indignant fury roared in Atemu's heart. After all this, after Atemu had unwillingly trusted that villain with Ryou's welfare, the bastard had still broken him! It was unforgivable. His first impression of Bakura had been right, no matter what Yugi said. No matter how much Ryou…

"I'll kill him," Atemu vowed viciously.

"No, no, no, no," Ryou pleaded and then suddenly screamed, "Atemu, he's a- an _angel_!"

It was the exact word Atemu thought wouldn't come up in this conversation.

Brain speeding, Atemu turned to look back over his shoulder and spotted the dark red liquid there on the sidewalk.

It was blood, angel blood. It had to be, now that he was looking, Atemu could see the brown steam that smoked off its surface as the blood rotted everything it touched beneath the frozen slush. The bottoms of his shoes, which had touched that dangerous acidic substance, were hissing, their rubber crackling.

It took only a second for Atemu to calculate a whole new series of problems and complications that arose from this news.

"Ryou." Atemu turned back to his distressed friend and placed Ryou's head between his hands, careful to keep the cloth over Ryou's nose and mouth. "Did you bite him?"

Ryou's frame quivered like a sick creature. His eyes were glazed over with a milky shine because of the tears.

"Ryou, did you bite him?"

Finally the diseased demon choked, "I didn't- have a chance to."

Atemu sighed, unbidden relief. Then he cradled Ryou's sorrowful head to his chest and tilted it so that it faced downward thus letting the white pearly tears drip from Ryou's eyelashes to the ground where they would mix harmlessly with the white snow.

In that position, Atemu let Ryou cry his demonic heart out.

* * *

...)(-)-(Stimulation)-(-)(...

* * *

This chapter gives me chills.

Hope you had fun!

NEXT CHAPTER! Ryou knows, but can he do anything about it? Jounouchi doesn't get it. Yugi makes more medical supplies.

Sorry, I don't have time to entertain you all today. Got stuff. But I love you too much to not update.

**REVIEW!!**


	20. Preservation

At first I was going to limit the number of definitions… but then I realized that they all apply in sick, twisted, and sadistic ways. Mwahahaha…

Ok so the chapters are a little awkward because of all the dramatic scenes, that's why this chapter it shorter than others, but it was either that or have like a chapter 28 pages long… But it's a good chapter I promise!!

Must… resist… reading… Kingdom Hearts… fanfiction… (I need to hold onto whatever innocence I have left)

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Chyaputa 20: Preservation

1. To maintain in safety from injury, peril, or harm; protect.

2. To keep in perfect or unaltered condition; maintain unchanged

3. To prepare (food) for future use, as by canning or salting.

4. To prevent (organic bodies) from decaying or spoiling.

5. To keep or protect for one's private hunting or fishing.

* * *

Yugi was huddled in his room over a copper basin when the sky light window above him exploded into a hurricane of glass shards and heavy, golden feathers. Through the eye of storm, smacking into the carpet, fell Bakura in his angelic state.

With one sweep of his hand, Yugi calmed the air. The glass landed, stuck into the floor and nearby shelves while the golden feathers floated peacefully.

"Bakura!" Yugi ran to his friend. "What in Heaven do you think you're-"

Then Yugi saw the dark red blood that had by now consumed one whole pant leg and rotted a sizable piece of Bakura's side.

Yugi's stomach could not shrink anymore.

'Again? Bakura why again?' Yugi questioned hopelessly.

Yugi made a pained face as he immediately rushed for his collection of angel tears, an act he had repeated too often this past week. He grabbed the basin he had been leaning over just a few seconds ago. "What happened this time?"

Bakura was gasping, although as an angel he needed neither air nor water. "Nothing."

Yugi shook his head sadly and kneeled next to Bakura's wound. "You should have called me."

Bakura grunted and positioned himself roughly on his stomach, wings rustling, spreading out so Yugi could reach the wound. "It wasn't important. I could get home."

"And at least ten humans saw you by then," Yugi snapped.

Yugi knew he sounded bitter and angry. That was because he was.

"No one saw me. I'm not important enough to be noticed," Bakura reassured gruffly and then hissed as Yugi splashed the silver liquid into his wound. The blood stopped sizzling. "Your eyes are red," Bakura observed.

"I was restocking our medical supplies," Yugi stated delicately. Bakura snorted and Yugi knew he knew. A bitter taste burned the back of his throat. "It's day, Bakura," Yugi reminded his friend harshly.

"I told you, I wasn't seen," Bakura repeated lazily. Callous. Uncaring. Cold.

"And you're so sure no one saw my window explode either?" Yugi said shrilly as his small hands began to glow and force healing powers into Bakura's flesh.

Bakura's jaw tightened as the healing powers needlessly forced their way onto his hip. Bakura rotated his head enough to scowl at his superior. "_Look_, I didn't meet any demons. There was no battle. My wound just reopened, ok? That should be easy enough for you to heal, right?"

"You went out of the house when I told you not to," Yugi countered.

"Fucking hell, I was _trying_ to find that damn demon that _you_ let _escape_ last night!" Bakura's words stuck in Yugi's flesh like claws and they were probably supposed to. Yugi had never talked back to Bakura like this before, without logic, with raw feeling behind his words.

"And you got hurt! _Again_! And if you hadn't been able to get back you could have bled until the scent attracted another demon to you! Why are you always doing stupid things like this! If you would follow orders for _once_ in your existence-" And Yugi's small round hands squeezed Bakura's wound too tight.

Bakura yowled. "_Fuck_! Yugi! What the _hell_ are you doing?" Bakura sat up, even though it hurt him to do so. His dark violet, inhuman eyes glared at Yugi, seeing right through him.

"I'm fixing you! Like I did last night! Like I fix Kaiba! _Every_ single time!" Yugi cried back, looking heatedly away at the basin of angel tears.

"No, you're not! You're fucking hurting me on purpose!" Bakura accused.

"Well, I'm sorry!" Yugi screamed. "I'm so _fucking_ sorry! I'm SORRY!"

The conversation dropped. Yugi was kneeling on the floor in front of Bakura, who observed all coolly, detachedly, unsympathetically. Yugi leaned over his hands. His throat swelled and his eyes burned. Bakura's aloofness burned him.

"I'm… sorry…" Yugi moaned.

Bakura's head turned away. "It's nothing."

Those words were like death to Yugi.

'It's nothing… it means nothing… to you,' Yugi thought horribly.

Yugi leaned forward and his head landed on Bakura's shoulder and the angel flinched as he always did when Yugi touched him.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said because he knew his longest and best friend was uncomfortable.

Bakura grunted.

Yugi sobbed. His forehead dug into Bakura's warm angelic shoulder.

Bakura's body moved as he picked up the basin from the floor and shoved it into Yugi's hands. "Might as well not waste it," he grumbled.

'It? Is that what you call my sadness?' Yugi thought. He knew Bakura didn't mean to be hurtful. Bakura was just like this. But inside… inside Bakura was good. That's why his wings were golden, right? His soul was good. It was his past that was doing this. His past made him hurtful…

"Don't leave," Yugi pleaded.

Bakura twitched. "Right."

Yugi let drops of silver splash into the basin. "Please…" Yugi leaned further into Bakura's shoulder. "Please don't leave me. I won't be able to handle it if you left too."

'Like Atemu…' Yugi thought and his tears doubled. But Bakura wasn't like Atemu at all. Not one bit. And that was the problem.

"I'm not going anywhere," Bakura snapped.

Yugi's throat ached so much that it pained him to swallow. "You don't get it."

...)(-)-(Preservation)-(-)(...

Ryou and Atemu arrived at the apartment together which was interesting because they hadn't left together and they hadn't said anything about meeting up. Jounouchi's eyesight was still blurry from the angel blood he had gotten in his eyes the night before. So he only knew that the two came in together because a shortish, reddish black blob was very close to a white blob and the two shapes made their way into Ryou's room.

"What's up guys?" Jounouchi questioned because neither one of them were saying a thing. "Have fun today?"

"Not exactly," Atemu answered as the reddish black blob exited Ryou's room and shut the door. "We've got problems."

"I'll say," Jounouchi responded lightly.

"Ryou found an angel," Atemu said bluntly.

Jounouchi jumped out of his chair. "Man! Why didn't you call me? I could've come!"

The Atemu blob was motionless. "Ryou hasn't approached him yet."

"Why? I mean, it's cool that you guys waited for me, was it really that powerful?" Jounouchi questioned, suddenly worried.

"It's nothing like that, Jounouchi." And the blob began to move away.

"Wait." Jounouchi managed to locate Atemu's shoulders and pulled him back. The blonde was irritated because Atemu was keeping something from him and Jounouchi couldn't get a clear enough look at Atemu's face to guess what it was. "Tell me what's going on. I'm not an idiot. I know you guys aren't acting normal. What's wrong with Ryou?"

"That angel Ryou found, is Bakura," Atemu admitted. Jounouchi could find no emotion in the other demon's voice.

"Bakura? That guy who came to the apartment once? That guy that's Ryou's…" And Jounouchi understood.

"Boyfriend," Atemu finished.

"Yeah," Jounouchi closed his eyes to escape all the fuzzy shapes that surrounded him. He tried to imagine how Ryou was feeling. His boyfriend was now his enemy. Not that Bakura had seen like such a guy anyway. And not that Jounouchi had a boyfriend… Then the image of Kaiba's sharp, blue eyes shot back to him. But Kaiba wasn't his _boyfriend_. They were really even friends… exactly. But if Kaiba were an angel, how would he feel?

"Atemu, will Ryou be able to fight him?" Jounouchi asked.

"I don't know," Atemu answered. But there was an odd tone in his voice that Jounouchi didn't get.

"We'll have to capture him," Jounouchi stated.

Atemu sighed. "I suppose."

Jounouchi was confused. "You suppose? Atemu, we found an angel. We can't lose this opportunity."

"No, we can't," Atemu said and Jounouchi could not tell if he was agreeing or disagreeing with this point.

"I know this is painful for Ryou but we're going to have to move," Jounouchi insisted. "We should do it soon. Tomorrow, or maybe even tonight."

"That sounds very logical," Atemu commented.

Jounouchi was annoyed. What was up with Atemu? Why was he acting so… damn weird?

"Give me a day."

Jounouchi and Atemu turned around to face the white blob that had just emerged out of his room.

"You're sure? A day?" Atemu asked.

What did Atemu's mean? Was a day too long? Too short? Was Atemu that concerned with Ryou's welfare?

"Yes," Ryou answered firmly and Jounouchi could hear no trace of tears clogging up his throat. "I need to do one last thing. After that…"

The white Ryou blob shifted and Jounouchi almost roared with irritation that he couldn't understand what was happening to Ryou's features.

"I'll be ok," Ryou said.

...)(-)-(Preservation)-(-)(...

It was cold. The snow that had fallen on the night of the infamous battle of angels and demons still lingered on the ground. The roads and walkways were now fully paved, the white powder steadily growing grimier on the sides of the roads.

Ryou sat at a metal table outside a café. The café. Where he and Bakura had scared away that man with the raisin scone. Where he had been slammed onto that table with Bakura on top of him…

Ryou shook his head. What was the point? Why would an angel seduce a seemingly innocent human being? What could that creature gain from such a bargain?

Then why had he, a demon, seduced a human? For entertainment? For fun? For curiosity? To fill the boredom?

Ryou remembered how he had longed to bite Bakura. To drag him into dark places and drain him. If he had, Ryou would have exposed his demon self and worse. He would have drunk that angel's putrid blood, which would have Turned him… Ryou shivered in revulsion. If he had drained that angel, Ryou would have been Bleached, like Jounouchi. Blessed? Touched? Was that what the angels called it?

And how had he escaped that fate? How had he resisted the urge to drain Bakura's, what he had thought delicious, blood?

"Hey."

Ryou didn't want to look up. But he did. And then he was greeted by that vile angel with a dry kiss.

Like that other chaste kiss…

"_Trust me."_

Ryou turned away. He didn't look to see if Bakura was confused or hurt by the rejection.

Bakura sat down at the frozen metal outdoor table. His white hair made the gray snow look filthy. His eyes were looking at Ryou.

His eyes.

There was nothing angelic or incriminating in them now. The only image visible behind Bakura's eyes now was Ryou himself, that and a twinge of discomfort. Perhaps embarrassment from yesterday's encounter.

"Well?" Bakura spoke. His stare was unrelenting.

Ryou looked away.

"You wanted to see me," Bakura reminded his table partner.

Ryou's chapped lips parted. "I know."

One of Bakura's pale eyebrows rose. "And?"

Was he getting suspicious? Ryou glanced back into the creature's eyes. No, they were utterly unsuspecting. And the image of himself reflected in them was still very, very clear.

There was hesitation on both sides of the table.

Perhaps they would sit there forever.

Eventually Bakura's mouth twisted. "Does this have to do with yesterday?"

Ryou flinched. Yesterday? How could one three syllable word bring back so many feelings and monumental events? Yesterday…

"Cause it's nothing to worry about," Bakura explained, head tilting a bit and still staring, staring. "Just an old wound, you know."

'The same wound I inflicted on that golden angel in that alley,' Ryou added silently. He had recognized it. Bakura was that golden angel. That very small, insignificant angel. Perhaps not even privileged to the most intimate details of the angel commanders' plans.

"Was it bad?"

Ryou jumped a little in his seat. "What was what?"

Bakura stared. "Was what we did in that closet bad? Did you not like it?"

Ryou could feel his ribs expand but although he had plenty of air, his voice box refused to work.

"_Was what we did in that closet bad?"_

He had to avoid that horrible conversation topic. "Fine," Ryou squeaked. Heat rose and bubbled.

"_Did you not like it?"_

He had _touched_ an angel. A creature. Ryou was surprised the creature's holy essence hadn't invaded his blood yet. Disgust, revulsion made Ryou's bones shudder.

"What is it then?" Bakura accused. His voice was harsh. "You're acting strange."

'Yes, and you're an angel,' Ryou retorted silently. It was good that Bakura couldn't see into eyes like Ryou could.

"There's a problem," Ryou stated slowly.

Bakura did not move and his tone did not change. "What problem?"

Ryou hated to bring up the past. "You remember the last time we were here at this café. It was after that dance."

Again Ryou avoided seeing the symptoms of the angel's recognition.

"You were difficult," the angel stated.

'And I should have ended it there,' Ryou scolded himself. But it was too late now.

"I told you- I warned you about what would happen."

The angel was either so dim or so naïve that it remained unsuspecting. "What would happen?"

Ryou would not look up. This conversation was useless! Why was he even here? Why would a holy angel care about a relationship with a poor, seemingly, mortal being? Ryou certainly didn't care for any human.

Then Ryou said it.

"It's over."

Eyes down. Eyes down. Eyes down. A winter breeze stung his human eyeballs.

"What is?" the angel asked.

Wasn't it obvious?

"We can't do _this_ anymore," Ryou said.

"What's _this_?" The response was quicker that time. Words were jumpy.

Why did he keep on asking? Wasn't it clear enough? "_Us_. We can't have _us_ anymore."

"Us as in?" the angel questioned.

Ryou had to actually close his eyes. "We can't _date_ anymore."

Bakura must have got it that time. And the temperature was cold, cold, cold and the cars were really, really loud as they drove by and sprayed more road grim onto the pure, white snow.

"Who says?" the angel snapped.

Ryou's soft mouth worked to shape the words before they could emerge. "I say."

"That's it? You say so and it's just over?"

"It takes two people to make a couple, you know."

Bakura's hands placed themselves on the table top, into Ryou's view. They were very strong human hands. So why were his angel ones so weak?

"What have I done wrong?" the angel questioned, leaning forward across the table.

"Nothing," Ryou admitted truthfully.

'Except for what you are, and what I am.'

"Then what in _hell_ is wrong?" Bakura snapped.

'Why do you get to talk about Hell?' Ryou thought with sudden fury. 'You've never been there and you never will!'

"You don't understand," Ryou explained.

Bakura scoffed. "You've said that before and you're making it conveniently confusing."

"You don't understand," Ryou repeated. Shaking his head. Shaking his head. "I can't do this anymore."

"Fuck, you can't," Bakura accused and Ryou was so shocked that he almost looked up that time.

"You don't get to decide what I can do," Ryou replied dryly. "It doesn't work like that."

"I can't but your others can?" Bakura snapped. He was angry. He was angry now.

"What are you talking about?" Ryou asked.

The table wobbled a little. "Last time, you spoke about family matters, about having no say in the decision. You're letting others control you then?"

One of Ryou's hands went to cover his face, his eyes. His head was still shaking back and forth, back and forth. "That's not true…"

"Even Atemu? Are you saying _he_ has no influence over your decision?"

Ryou let out a couple sour breaths. "Leave Atemu alone! He has _nothing_ to do with this!"

Why was he so angry? Was he that upset about losing his toy? His play thing? His curiosity? Was he that selfish?

Then Bakura demanded the impossible. "Ryou, Look at me."

Ryou needed to leave. "I'm leaving and you'll never see me again. You shouldn't be surprised. I told you this would happen."

"Look at me, Ryou," Bakura said like a warning or something.

"I _told_ you I couldn't stay and you said you would take what you would get, remember?" Ryou cried.

"Dammit! Look at me!" And one of Bakura's strong cool hands jerked Ryou's chin upward.

Ryou saw into those angel eyes. They were still utterly, completely consumed with the image of Ryou the weak pale Human. But where Ryou had suspected there to be anger and rage was… desperation.

'Oh holy hell…' Ryou was in awe. 'I've killed him.' Bakura wasn't desperate for anything. Bakura was strong. What could the angel possibly need from Ryou the Human so badly?

"Something happened," Bakura stated with sharp awkward words. "You're not telling me what but something happened."

Ryou swallowed. "This is _my_ choice. You _don't_ understand…" And he pulled away from Bakura's cool strong hands.

Bakura stood up and his towering form once again made Ryou feel very small. The image of that poor, crumbling golden angel bleeding pathetically upon the ground was chased out of his head.

"You think I don't understand that you're being pressured? By fucking grand, gold-encrusted Laws! You think I _don't_ understand!" Bakura roared.

Ryou's abdomen squeezed. If this continued they would have real trouble.

'Don't do this,' Ryou ordered so pleadingly that he almost spoke them aloud. 'Don't admit to me what you are. No matter how much you want to…'

Ryou stood up as well. His feet shuffling backwards. "Ba-" Ryou swallowed and shifted a few more steps backward. "…Don't follow me, please."

"Fuck that." In two steps Bakura was around the table and he grabbed one of Ryou's thin human arms, attempting to anchor the demon to the spot. "We're not done."

"Let go!" Ryou demanded, voice of shrill and thin. And with a tug that would have dislocated any mere human's arm from its socket Ryou tried to escape but again failed. Bakura was holding onto Ryou with inhuman strength.

Bakura wrapped his arms possessively over Ryou the Human's thin body. Was he tapping into his angelic powers simply to keep Ryou there?

'Why? Why?' Ryou screamed in his mind.

This hurt. This conversation hurt. His skin hurt in Bakura's grip.

"Let me go!" Ryou cried into Bakura's chest.

Then Bakura leaned down and his breath stung Ryou's skin. His horrible, horrible angelic mouth with its holy words and sacred teeth pressed forcefully against the cartilage of Ryou's ear.

"Ryou… I think… I _think_ I might…

Time stopped. Bakura's golden fingers groped at Ryou.

"I might… I love you…"

And Ryou _knew_ that was ridiculous.

The Prince of Hell was not subtle about using his demonic, Higher Being strength now. Ryou was not cautious when he shoved Bakura off so hard that the angel collided with metal, human table. This was ridiculous. An angel didn't need a human that much. Higher Beings didn't love.

Ryou felt when his foot landed on the bank of dirty, tainted snow; the ice crystals crunched underneath his human weight. He felt when his next footfalls landed on hard, salt-frosted asphalt.

Ryou took many more steps before he heard his named behind him.

"Ryou!"

Then again.

"RYOU! MOVE!"

Move? What could that mean?

Ryou turned and found a large pair of yellow eyes glaring at him. His powers of mind penetration didn't work on these eyes because the only thing behind them was a 7-ton, metal truck.

And Ryou was so fascinated by this that he didn't even think to move.

Then there was an explosion from the sidewalk behind him. And Ryou didn't think about that at first until he felt the shock wave of angelic power slide over his face.

Then something smacked into him, but not from the direction of the human truck. The thing that smacked into him wasn't human at all.

Ryou barely had time to notice a pair of arms encircling him before there was a sickening crunch.

A single, pure golden feather floated past Ryou's brown eyes.

Then the world whirled out of control and Ryou huddled against the cool arms that encircled him. Air screamed outside of his cocoon of cool arms and golden feathers and then another smack and the direction changed with a violent jerk that made Ryou's human skull ache. He and his safety cocoon bolted through space and winter.

Then they landed in freezing cold whiteness and slide for another two hundred or so feet. Ryou rested his head on the cool chest next to his ear until the ride was over.

Snow had built up all around Ryou and his safety cocoon, which wasn't really a cocoon. But Ryou knew that already.

Ryou treasured the stillness that filled the space after their violent journey. He could see gray, heavy, fast moving clouds through the crown of golden feathers above him.

Then the angel woke up.

Ryou didn't move. What was the point?

There was a pause.

"I'm an angel."

Ryou breathed. He was still looking up at the clouds. "Really?"

The two of them let that thought drift sufficiently through the air.

Ryou was not ready to face his angelic savior yet. "How's your wing?" he asked.

The wall of feathers rustled as the angel turned his head to examine the damage the truck did to his appendage. It looked very ugly.

"Probably broken," the angel admitted.

That gray sky wasn't nearly fascinating enough. "That's too bad."

"It's not bleeding," the angel commented.

"Yeah… good thing," Ryou agreed.

The angel's cool arms were still around Ryou's body. Ryou's human skull was underneath its chin.

"This explains what happened yesterday," the angel stated.

Ryou shrugged. "I supposed it does."

What an awful conversation. Ryou knew it would be over soon. It was only a matter of time.

Ryou breathed against the angel's chest and was thankful that he couldn't see the Higher Being's face yet.

"Are you… ok with this?" the angel asked.

"With what?"

The angel shifted slightly. "With me being an angel?"

"Not really," Ryou admitted.

That was the end of the conversation.

Ryou rolled out of the angel's arms out onto the exposed snow. Then he stood up, facing away from the creature.

Behind him, there was a hiss, a groan, and the drift of snow as it slipped off the angel's back and wings.

"Are you afraid of me?" the angel asked.

"Afraid? No."

There was a pause. The angel must have been so confused.

But Ryou wasn't. His mind was perfectly clear and he breathed in the harsh winter air like water.

"Then what's wrong?" the angel questioned.

No, no, _that_ part of the conversation was over.

Ryou shook his head. "You're so stupid. You know that?"

A longer pause, the angel must have recognized the tension by then. "How so?" The words were slow and cautious. Yes, yes, it was becoming clear now.

"You revealed yourself. That's dangerous."

"Would you rather be dead?" the angel demanded. Yes, he was getting angry. It was all becoming clear.

"You assume that I could have died."

A grunt. A step. Was it possible to hear the angel's eyes widen?

"What are you…"

The angel needed a little more help. Ryou shook his head. "I don't think your superiors will be very pleased that you broke the Laws so futilely."

"How do you know about the Laws?" There. The snow crunched. That was a step. The angel was standing now.

Ryou released a harsh quavering breath that was intended to be a laugh. "Funny. And I thought you were smarter than this. I guess I was wrong. Maybe you're human feelings have muddled your instincts."

The angel had nothing to say to this. Perhaps it knew now. Ryou had given it enough clues.

"Let's end your embarrassment for now. We can work on our conversation later," Ryou concluded.

Then The Prince of Hell shed his human skin and his enormous black wings stretched out to the gray, cloud laden sky. Lust for blood devoured, and Ryou's demonic instincts ran hot.

Only then did Ryou turn to face the angel.

The angel was leaning against the trunk of a tree. Its face was lined with exhaustion and stress from the pain in its broken wing.

Ryou said the line that made angels run in desperation, "Trying to escape won't work."

This angel however didn't look like he was going to try. It just stood there.

Ryou's wings twitched.

He didn't know what to say. So he just summoned the shadows and let them engulf the injured angel.

It was the easiest capture he had ever completed.

* * *

...)(-)-(Preservation)-(-)(...

* * *

Creepy? Just a bit? Drama, drama, drama.

NEXT CHAPTER!!: Bakura's been captured. Yugi has a confession for Kaiba. Atemu using his expertise from his army years. Ryou's going a bit loopy. AND ANZU'S BACK!! Just kidding. Seriously folks though next chapter pretty serious. Nothing humorous except some vicious dramatic Irony but isn't that that this story is all about?

I'M SO BORED! Any suggestions?

**REVIEW!!**

Except maybe getting my updates on time from now on… that would be something to do.

**REVIEW PLEASE!! WHY YES OF COURSE!**


	21. Fabrication

This story has MEANING!! Get it? Haha, I love it when I try to be deep and junk. Teehee.

"Isn't this _ROMANTIC_?" Heehee, that goes out to my beautiful Beta Androgynous Napkin. Haha, I _just_ got where that's from. KH2: Seifer? Or Seeeeeeeeeeeeefer? Don't really know… But I had to fight Hayner and Setzer like literally _20_ TIMES to get to him. Lames… Anyway, when ever he charges at you he's all "Isn't this ROMANTIC!!" Which makes as much sense as using the insult "Yo! Chickenwuss!" (Damn you hip American translators)

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* * *

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Chyaputa 21: Fabrication

1. something created

2. concoction made in order to deceive

3. the act of constructing something through raw materials

4. the deliberate act of deviating from the truth (syn. Lying)

* * *

When Ryou brought the creature in, he had received two very interesting responses. Jounouchi had been stunned. Atemu had been silent. Neither seemed very excited.

"Good job, Ryou," Jounouchi managed.

Ryou _had_ done a good job. Most excellent work. Like the Master told him after every mission: _"I'd like to congratulate you on your success…"_

Jounouchi left soon after that to drag the prisoner off and properly bind it in chains. Not that it would take much to hold a weak Guardian.

Atemu and Ryou were left alone in the human living room, in their mortal apartment. It was very uncomfortable, especially because Atemu was still hiding his face from Ryou's view.

"That must have been difficult," Atemu commented.

"Not really," Ryou disagreed. "The capture was quite simple."

Another block of silence.

"Well, congratulations," said Atemu finally. The word sounded very awkward.

Ryou hesitated. "Thank you." Was that the right response?

"You must be quite powerful to pull off a capture like that without difficulty," said Atemu. He had not moved and his tone had not changed, yet those words didn't sound like Atemu. He was being very out of character.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Ryou responded lightly.

"Did you approach him as yourself?" Atemu asked. "Or as a demon?"

The air tasted bad. "My demon is myself," Ryou answered obviously.

"Right," said Atemu and it was so cold, Ryou shivered. Right? What did that mean? Right? Why was it so short and yet hurtful? Hurtful? From Atemu?

The Soldier of Hell began to move toward the kitchen.

"What's going on?" Ryou questioned worriedly, following him.

"You should know. You brought him in," said Atemu. His back was facing Ryou. He sounded… angry? How could Atemu be angry? What had Ryou done to him? Why was he being so cold?

"Atemu, please…It's just another creature-" Ryou reached out a hand to touch Atemu's shoulder but his longest and dearest friend moved sharply away.

"That creature… used to have a name," said Atemu.

Something was very, very wrong with Atemu. Atemu had never liked that creature. Atemu had sensed the danger and had told Ryou to stay away from him. Atemu was always beside him so why was he pushing Ryou away now? Where was Atemu's support now? Where were his positive statements and unwanted intruding questions? His good intentions? His hand on Ryou's sore back?

"Why… are you…" Ryou's hands were shaking beyond his control. "Why are you… acting like this?" His words wavered in the cold air.

Atemu faced the wall. He was still cutting Ryou off? Still avoiding?

Was this all about Atemu's forbidden secret?

"Why don't you answer me?" Ryou implored, taking a step forward.

"I can't," Atemu admitted.

Ryou was letting himself get worked up, and he knew it. "I did what I was _supposed_ to do."

"Yes, you did," Atemu agreed. Then why did his words sounds so disgusting?

Ryou shook his head. Ryou shook his head. Ryou shook… "Then _why_?"

Atemu did not answer. He was being so cold, so unresponsive. Ryou wanted to cry again.

Instead, he took three steps forward, grabbed Atemu's face and dove into his crimson eyes.

It was three seconds. That was when Ryou saw it, saw Atemu's most treasured secret. His purple-eyed secret. When Ryou understood- when Ryou knew everything about his best friend…

Ryou ripped himself away. Scared. Confused. Foreign chemicals pumped through his intoxicated blood.

Neither said anything for a moment.

"You…" Ryou gasped.

"Yes," Atemu released, like a sigh of relief.

And that ancient Soldier of Hell didn't look the least bit guilty.

Ryou was sick.

"We're not supposed to be able to…" the Prince spat.

"To what?" Atemu was too calm. "To love?"

Ryou swerved blindly, stumbling over his feet and ran into his room.

…)(-)-(Fabrication)-(-)(…

"Production rate is up by 13 percent," the human worker reported through the speaker of the video phone. "And average sales of all products are up by 9 percent over the last two months."

Kaiba analyzed months of human statistics in his head, categorizing the numbers to calculate an overall amount of efficiency. The digits were not as productive as he had predicted.

Across the room, the young CEO's eyes were trained on the television. He had the human news program playing continuously these days, even at the office during work. He had to keep an eye out for even the smallest abnormality in the human detection programs, especially after there encounter with the demons two nights ago; overall Higher Being activity levels would undoubtedly increase now that they were aware of the other party.

"What about overseas sales specifically? How effective is our new advertising campaign?" Kaiba demanded.

"Um…" the human worker drone flipped through the pages of his document. "In Europe, an average of 15 percent. 21 percent in America…"

"_Breaking news for the town of Domino!"_ the television declared. Kaiba tuned out his human worker's whiny voice.

"_A mysterious incident occurred in suburbs of this seemingly peaceful town. Several pedestrians and one very confused truck driver said they saw a flash of light speed across the intersection of 12__th__ and Getsu street this afternoon."_

Kaiba stood up from his chair.

"_After further investigation, police have determined that an unknown object sped through this busy intersection and then went crashing into the nearby woods. The tracks that the thing made in the snow as it crashed to the ground were more than 200 hundred feet long. No sign of that speeding object was found. Investigators' best guess is that it was some sort of illegal rocket that failed to explode after crashing in the snow, although that does not account for the object's disappearance…."_

Kaiba punched the speaker key on the phone so fervently that he heard the machine's plastic casing crack. "Call me later when your information is up to standard," the CEO ordered icily. He could not be distracted by human frivolities now. The nervous human company worker did not have another second to stutter a pathetic reply before Kaiba cut the line.

Kaiba approached the television with its buzzing colored frames flashing individually by Kaiba's keen eyes. The camera viewed the "mysterious object's" entry into the woods and the long dark strike carved into the white snow as the object decreased in speed.

It had been only a flash but Kaiba had caught it. A golden feather skidded across the surface of the white snow.

"That _fool_!" Kaiba growled. His thoughts reached for his communication crystal in order to contact Yugi, but before he could grasp the thing fully, a sharp urgent message shot into his brain. The contact was so shaky and jumbled that Kaiba could only comprehended a few phrases.

"_Bakura gone… haven't seen… communication crystal… demons contacted…"_

Kaiba signaled that his office was "all clear", and the Hashmallim spun into appearance in less than a second.

Their angelic commander did not look well. "Bakura's gone," Yugi spoke.

Kaiba grew rigid in the presence of his inept superior. "Yes, and he's out terrorizing the humans. Not even cleaning up his mistakes! That reckless fool is putting our mission in jeopardy. Breaking the Laws!" And the useless Guardian had once ridiculed _him_ for being careless. The hypocrite. The imbecile.

Yugi blinked. "I… what?"

Did his brain not work? Were Kaiba's words too intricate to grasp? "Your friend disrupted the entirety of Domino with his little stunt today. He flew through that human crossing without warning or word to us! And you let him out when you knew he-"

"Bakura is _gone_!" Yugi cried with shrill human feeling. This frail-minded Higher Being was distressed. "Bakura is gone."

Kaiba's mouth tightened.

Yugi's hands interlocked then released then interlocked again; the Hashmallim was stressed. "I don't know where… I have no idea how… he always leaves but he _always_ comes back," Yugi reasoned, illogically. He brought his hands up to his face. "I don't know what to do. I can't hear him… can't sense him…"

Kaiba replanted his feet and recomposed his facial features. "Go back to the beginning, what exactly did you observe?"

His commander looked numb. "I… his communication crystal." Yugi shook his head. "He got a call from Ryou this morning and I told him, I _told_ him not to go anywhere but… then I came back and he had gone."

"You let him go again," Kaiba stated coldly. It was Yugi's responsibility, his duty to keep that fool under control. And he had failed. Yugi was a Hashmallim; how could he let something so weak and inexperienced passed? The Guardian was certainly not _that_ clever.

"I searched for him," Yugi assured his squeezing, intertwining hands, "Through my communication crystal and I found him somewhere in Domino but he wouldn't listen to my calls to come home. I was about to go out and pull him back myself, then…" Kaiba's superior's throat stuck together; he had to swallow multiple instances to clear the passage. "I was holding the communication crystal in my hand and then-" The commander's throat stuck again. Kaiba waited impatiently for him to continue. The Principality wondered if the disturbed Hashmallim was going to cry for it seemed probable. "I felt it vaguely through the crystal. A great hurtle then a crash then a few minutes later… shadows. Kaiba I know those shadows. I've _fought_ them."

Now the Principality was interested. "That royal shadow demon," he acknowledged.

Yugi's human head bobbed on a wobbly neck. "And it got worse. I called out to him and I… shouldn't have. The demon sensed me in the crystal and crushed it. Kaiba…." Yugi moaned pathetically. "I think… Bakura…"

"Has gotten himself kidnapped?" Kaiba concluded with hard words. Yugi could not even move his human skin this time to signal an acknowledgment. Kaiba moved himself over to his human desk of power. "This is the worst possible scenario I could have imagined."

Yugi, the mighty commander of this mission, was too busy watching human adrenaline saturate his blood to form any coherent, logical orders.

"The fool will talk. They will know who you are, perhaps even who I am. We cannot go back to school or to our original stations. We need to evacuate and regroup," Kaiba demanded.

"Bakura will not talk," Yugi stated; his human stare was fixed upon an insignificant spot on the carpet.

"He is the weakest of us," Kaiba stated because it was fact.

Yugi shook his human head. "He will not talk."

Kaiba was irritated by this frail faith. "For a precaution then, assuming that he does, do not go back to your Game Shop." Yugi did not question this; he was such a submissive leader. "The humans have noticed. Their media picked up the disruption at the intersection," Kaiba reminded the Hashmallim.

"That doesn't matter now," Yugi rambled immediately.

Kaiba knew his commander was incompetent. "That _always_ matters," the Principality reprimanded.

"Finding Bakura is our only priority!" The Hashmallim was out of his mind.

"How do you suggest we look for him?" Kaiba questioned harshly. The commander crumbled under his forceful stare. "Where do you suggest we start? These demons are not stupid. They are cunning. _They_ have not slipped up. Their operations are flawless for they are unknown to us. Their base and their members are a mystery, unlike our current situation."

Yugi looked at his soldier, pathetic. As Hashmallim, he had something Kaiba wanted, something that the Tainted angel longed for, that he rightfully deserved. Kaiba was infuriated.

"I think…" Yugi bit his lip.

His hands were ringing themselves out of moisture. His watery human eyes bulged. He was in no condition to speak; he did not have the right. He should never have been placed in command.

"I think… I know one…"Yugi mumbled pathetically.

"Know what?" Kaiba spat. The commander was useless! Why were those dense-minded idiots in the Council so glorious and brilliant yet so incompetent in choosing who became Hashmallim?

"I know one… who is a demon." Yugi's frail, human shell spoke.

…)(-)-(Fabrication)-(-)(…

The ceiling above Ryou was flat. A two-dimensional surface in a three dimensional world. And there he lay, on his back, on a bed, in a human room, in a human body. His world was full of paradoxes.

And irony.

The creature was housed in a once normal human coat closet, now a soundproof prison. Atemu had made sure of that. They certainly couldn't have the mortal neighbors calling the human authorities and investigating where all the screaming was coming from. Not that Ryou knew that there was screaming. Perhaps the creature was too proud to scream. Perhaps it didn't even speak.

The walls did not shake. The floorboards did not wobble. Shelves did not tilt, their contents stable. It was as though the creature was not even there. As though it couldn't exist… If not for that atrocious smell of the creature's blood wafting through the human floorboards and plaster walls. The scent that attacked Ryou even as he lay still.

Then, there was the sound of loud feet extricating themselves from that prison. Before the door closed, a fresh breeze of the foul stink washed over Ryou's being and sent tremors across his mortal skin. The sounds of heavy strained breathing and the rattle of chains escaped from that jail and pricked his ear like needles. Ryou was not breathing, not even after that awful door was closed. Maybe, if he could stop breathing long enough, his human body would run out of oxygen. Then he could go home.

Atemu asked a question. His words were evenly placed. Jounouchi answered him, his voice too loud and his syllables too harsh.

That horrible, horrible _smell_! That wretched, putrid scent that damaged his very conscience! Even with that door closed, Ryou's eyeballs continued to burn. The human living place was drenched with the stink.

Jounouchi and Atemu continued their discussion. "Oh he's talking, alright," Jounouchi grunted grimly. "It's just not anything we want to hear. He keeps rambling on and on about damn things."

"Like what?" Why was Atemu so calm? Ryou felt rage.

"About, ah… some council. Cursing the universe, swearing a lot. The guy isn't afraid to let his opinions be known, if you know what I mean."

"Anything about the power source?" Atemu asked the obvious question.

The power source? The reason they had been delivered to this complicated place. Ryou's arms wrinkled up to his ears, his bed covers rustled.

Jounouchi made a rude noise. "Yeah… he says there isn't one."

"He denies its existence?"

"No. That's what's odd. He seemed to know what it is, I mean, he reacted when I asked him. But when I pressed him about it he claimed there wasn't one anymore. Said it was all a plot, or something ridiculous like that," Jounouchi explained exasperatingly.

Ryou didn't care about such unrelated matters.

"Did he say anything about the identities of the other two angels?" Atemu asked.

Ryou heard it, the break in Atemu's continuum of emotionless words. The human noises that came out of his friend's voice box were cubes of metal that hurt as they hit the impassive floor.

"Nah. He's silent about that, for the moment."

Ryou pondered in moments. His pale human limbs, contrasted against his graying blankets, were shriveling into his chest. He knew his white human hair was knotted and would soon become unmanageable.

"Ah… there was one other thing," Jounouchi spoke hesitantly.

Ryou's senses condensed and focused unintentionally.

"What?"

"He, ah… asked to see, ah, Ryou," Jounouchi answered, somewhat guiltily. "…multiple times."

There was a pause. Ryou's human ears screeched silence into his brain. Some vital human cardiac organ emitted a horrible echo.

"I see." That was Atemu. Shoes scratched the surface of dense, crusty carpet.

"Atemu, what the hell are you doing?" Jounouchi questioned.

Then the sound of a sheet of pure shiny metal being released. Ryou noted the blade as it scraped the ridges of Atemu's finger.

"I'm going to talk to him."

And Ryou was suddenly very scared. His thin bare limbs squeezed into his ribs.

"You can't. How are you going to avoid Turning?" Jounouchi protested fiercely. Ryou could almost see the blonde's face screwed into lines of protective passion behind the wood of his human door. "Atemu, it's too dangerous. If he bleeds on you and his blood gets passed your skin… you'll end up Bleached like me."

"Jounouchi…" Atemu stated precisely. "I've lived a long time. I know what I'm doing."

And Ryou feared for his life as Atemu and his dagger disappeared into that repulsive, repulsive room and yet another current of that creature's nauseating, acidic aroma clawed at Ryou's flesh.

…)(-)-(Fabrication)-(-)(…

There was a pause after Yugi's statement. Kaiba was staring at Yugi with perilous blue eyes.

"You… _what_?" Kaiba questioned.

Yugi sucked in another breath of arid air. His throat complained. "I know a demon."

Kaiba stepped forward; he height was impressive. "You know a demon… and you haven't thought to report this, until _now_?" the brunette accused.

Yugi's teeth clamped down on themselves for his own protection. He was wondering if Kaiba was going grab him, hurt him, then again, Yugi knew Kaiba had too much restraint for that.

The Tainted angel's expression was mean as he ripped himself away from Yugi. "It is too late."

"No! We can find them now. We can save Bakura!" Yugi insisted, his small feet stumbling forward toward Kaiba, trailing behind the Tainted angel's mighty steps.

The Tainted angel spun and his furious glare shot Yugi. "The damage has already been done!" Kaiba snapped.

Yugi shook his head at the floor. "No, no, we can save him, if we take the demons by surprise…"

"There are three of them and two of us," Kaiba reprimanded the shorter being.

"I can handle two," Yugi persisted.

"Like you handled two _last_ time?" Kaiba spat cruelly.

Yugi swallowed. And suddenly a rush of condensed feeling swallowed his wariness. "Kaiba… I know you have read Bakura's history. If he stays in that place for too long-"

Kaiba became still. "Yes, that is how I know it is too late."

Yugi was staring Kaiba in the face now, challenging his cold, blue eyes. "We can get him back."

"It is futile," Kaiba reiterated.

"Kaiba," and Yugi felt that rush again and his thoughts became so clear he could see the solution ahead of him. "Kaiba, I am ordering you to help me find this demon's lair. Whether you come to save Bakura or not is your own decision."

The intensity of hate in Kaiba was so pure and so strong that Yugi could see it building up in his face. Yugi knew, because he had read Kaiba's history too, the price he would have to pay later for this statement.

There was a horrible pause but Yugi was now so determined he didn't mind if it lasted forever. He knew Kaiba would obey.

Yugi's subordinate caved hatefully.

"What is the name of this demon of yours?" Kaiba growled.

Yugi felt the wavering return. He spoke before human judgment could stop him. "Atemu."

Kaiba took a steady moment to pause. "Your consort?"

Yugi felt the trembling return, the weakness fighting his rush of determination. "Yes."

Kaiba soundlessly sat in this office chair and swerved to his computer screen. He didn't have to say anything, the betrayal and stupidity were obvious. Yugi felt like crying but held it. His shame redoubled but it would not be over taken by his new determination, not until later.

"There is no address associated with that name. Nothing except for his school application," Kaiba reported.

Yugi's face tightened. That was obvious, wasn't it? Atemu was clever enough not to be found.

"You've never been over his house?" Kaiba accused skeptically.

Yugi put his hand to his face again and paced the length of the room. "No, it never came up."

"What other information do you have about him?" Kaiba demanded.

"He lives with Ryou and…" then a horrible thought hit Yugi. Ryou? How had he never thought of it before? _Ryou_ had called Bakura that morning. _Ryou_ had asked to meet him. Could it be that Ryou… "Oh god… _Ryou_."

If Ryou was a… they had even less time to save Bakura.

Kaiba was already typing the name into the computer. "Same as Atemu, nothing."

Which meant that… most likely… Yugi could _not_ think about that right now. 'Oh good Heaven, Bakura. Oh Heaven!' Yugi's conscience screeched.

"Th- they have another roommate," Yugi mumbled numbly, hands throttling each other and eyes squeezed.The thought of possibly giving up another one of his friends' names was too much… the repercussions for this day would be awful. "Um… His name is… Jounouchi?"

This time Kaiba did not turn to the computer.

"What?"

Yugi trembled. "Y-yeah, ah, all three of them live in the same house."

When Yugi dared to look at Kaiba again the Tainted angel was not typing, in fact his thin fingers hovered, unwilling to bend to gravity and land on the keys. Yugi looked at Kaiba's face and saw that it wasn't even concentrating on him. The expression, though, seemed blank.

"It might mean nothing."

Yugi's words seemed to awake something within Kaiba for the Tainted angel stood up from the desk.

"Kaiba, what…" Yugi asked but stopped. Kaiba was searching through his drawers in a violent fury. Papers, office supplies, random objects were shoved so insistently out of the way that they fell to the floor. "Kaiba, what are you doing?"

Then the Tainted angel froze.

Yugi watched as he pulled a small medical vial of blood from his drawer that was labeled "Jounouchi".

Yugi was blown away, and worried. "Kaiba… what?"

"He came to me for tests and left this," Kaiba explained curtly as though it was nothing unusual.

"Jounouchi?" Yugi clarified.

Kaiba gave a jerky nod.

'What tests?' Yugi wondered but he didn't ask. Kaiba wouldn't tell him anyway.

Then Kaiba did the most reckless thing Yugi had ever seen him do. The Tainted angel spun off the little black cap and dripped his little pinky inside the red liquid.

"Kaiba! Stop!" Yugi cried. "You don't know-" but before he could stop him, Kaiba stuck his pinky, with the drop of red mystery blood, into his own mouth.

"_Kaiba_!" Yugi was horrified.

There was a painful second or two when Kaiba digested this blood sample. Yugi watched his subordinate's expression in fear.

"It's demon," Kaiba concluded.

Yugi was still too shocked. "You do realize what would have happened if you hadn't _already_ been Tainted, right?"

Kaiba's face did not change. And in a dreadful, business-like manner, he screwed the cap back on. Yugi had to breathe for a couple seconds after that just to get his senses back in order. Meanwhile Kaiba jumped back on his computer.

"Anything?" Yugi asked, expecting the same answer.

"I already have the information," Kaiba stated.

"How?" Yugi asked.

"…we were project partners," Kaiba admitted detachedly.

"Oh." Yugi remembered Jounouchi saying something about that.

In a few more seconds Kaiba had called up the address on the screen.

"That's not far from the school," Yugi observed as he memorized the address.

"Indeed."

Yugi turned to find Kaiba putting on his coat. So they were going to save Bakura together. That made Yugi feel a lot better.

"Kaiba…" Yugi began nervously.

Kaiba made a noise.

"The Council did say that you are in charge of all battle maneuvers," Yugi reminded him.

Kaiba was silent.

"I think the role of leader would be better placed in your hands at the moment," Yugi said, surprisingly positively.

Kaiba did not look at him. "You'll do everything I say, correct?"

Yugi nodded shamefully.

"Good. Here's the plan."

…)(-)-(Fabrication)-(-)(…

The blade Atemu had used on the creature was still bubbling, the angel blood dissolving the thing up to its wooden handle. Ryou watched its progress for five minutes. He was determined to breathe in its caustic stench. After all if he couldn't take this, how would he be able to stand the smell of _the creature_ he had captured once Ryou went inside the prison?

Ryou also stood there in the living room, in front of that prison's door, for five minutes, hoping to be caught by Jounouchi or Atemu. Unfortunately for him, neither seemed to be around. So Ryou continued to stand.

Why was he even considering this course of action? The _creature_ had not revealed any useful information to Jounouchi or Atemu, even under torture. What made Ryou think that _it_ would answer him?

And why could he not resist entering that room?

Thinking was dangerous.

For obvious unspoken reasons, Ryou morphed into his true form, wings gleefully stretching the length of the room about him. He felt the touch of his immense power as it unraveled, a reassuring hum in his ears. Ryou sighed. He was in control. Ryou breathed in his own scent and knew that this would be enough. He could stand that _creature's_ presence now. The ugly thing could do nothing to a Prince of Hell.

Still praying that Atemu or Jounouchi would come up and stop him, Ryou pulled that mortal door open to reveal the room of horrors.

It was far more hideous than he had expected.

The smell was beyond senses.

And before Ryou could properly process the red mess, the _prisoner's_ mouth stretched, revealing bloody chipped teeth. "Your Highness… how nice of you to join me."

* * *

…)(-)-(Fabrication)-(-)(…

* * *

Yeah. That's it. That's the whole chapter. Mwahahahaha. Again I had the choice between one really long chapter and two shorter ones and this is what I got, or I suppose what you all got. I'll update date a little quicker though because I know cliff hangers make readers grumpy. Teehee.

Boy, Ryou's gone crazy. Seriously. _Seriously_. Poor guy...

Question: how does one write horror? Seriously. Like words on a page don't scare me. But I suppose we've become so desensitized to monsters and blood and guts in the movies that that doesn't scare too much either… And pop-up "BOO!" monsters are just cheap…

Anywho.

NEXT CHAPTER!: Ryou and Bakura have a conversation. Ryou's really losing well he's pretty much lost it by now. Meanwhile Atemu warns Jounouchi against letting _certain_ visitors in.

**REVIEW!!** or maybe I won't updating quicker… that was a threat bitches.

**REVIEW!**


	22. Annihilation

You know. I just realized that "Bleaching" is a really weird term. Seriously. I mean, _bleaching_. When you hear that you think of 50's moms with white pearls and clean things. Yeah. But I think I got it from Bleaching coral reefs. It's got to do with pollution or something like that.

In case this comes up (although I do try to keep it clear) Bleached, Blessed, and Touched are all _demons_ that have been infected by _angel_ blood and their wings are white. And Tainted, Fallen, and Soiled are _angels_ that have been infected by _demon_ blood and their wings are black. Only I don't think I ever use Soiled. (shrug)

Hope everyone's a lot happier now.

NOW READ!! I COMMAND YOU!

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Chyaputa 22: Annihilation

1. Utter destruction

2. the state of being annihilated; extinct; obliterated; eradicated.

3._ Physics_: The phenomenon in which a particle and an antiparticle, such as an electron and a positron, unite, annihilate each other, and are converted completely to energy approximately equivalent to the sum of their masses.

* * *

"Jounouchi," Atemu said to his fellow demon.

The blonde turned. "Yeah?"

"If Yugi comes to the door, don't let him in," Atemu instructed.

Jounouchi made a face. "What? You guys having problems or something?"

Atemu was washing his hands in a medicinal juice, a precaution in case any angel blood residue lingered on his skin, so he didn't have to look at Jounouchi when he said, "Yugi's an angel."

Atemu heard Jounouchi drop the object he was holding. He missed whatever interesting facial expressions the Bleached demon might have made behind his back.

"_Damn it_, Atemu!" Jounouchi cursed.

Atemu scrubbed his nails. "I thought you'd say something like that."

There was another pause. Jounouchi's heavy feet stomped loudly as he paced, perhaps in circles; Atemu had yet to turn from his washbasin. "Does Ryou know?"

"I suspect so," Atemu responded coolly.

"Damn…" Jounouchi repeated. There was more pacing; Atemu scrubbed a little harder. "Fuck."

"Yes," Atemu agreed mildly because he was tired of trying to defend himself.

The old soldier caught of glimpse of Jounouchi shaking his head as he paced around the room. "And you've known _all_ along that he was…?"

Atemu paused then decided there was no _more_ harm this information could possibly do. "Sure."

"Fuck…" Jounouchi repeated. "You bitch. You're going to kill us all, Atemu."

"I hope not." Atemu finally found no more reason to stay at the washbasin. He picked up the bronze dish and began to carry into another room.

"Does Yugi know too?" Jounouchi questioned.

Atemu halted his steps for a moment and then decided to tell the truth. "I have no idea. Maybe, maybe not…"

"Our future depends on a 'maybe, maybe not'," Jounouchi reminded him harshly.

"I'm sure we have at least a little longer until the angels find us," Atemu guessed, emptying the contents of the basin into a small bottle.

"You guess?" Jounouchi questioned. He dropped himself in a chair watching Atemu work. "_Damn_, Atemu," he whined.

"I know," Atemu agreed. The Solder of Hell corked the bottle with the medical juice and dumped the basin in the sink. Then he turned his attention directly on the blonde.

"Jounouchi, I have to ask you something very important," Atemu began formally.

The Count of Hell's eyebrows rose at Atemu's rigid tone. "Shoot."

Atemu breathed. "Who told you that Yugi has AIDs?"

Jounouchi was confused, unable to follow his friend's train of thought. "Ah… it was, ah, Kaiba." The blonde looked uncomfortable. "Why do you ask?"

There was a knock on the door, as if it were fate.

Atemu gave Jounouchi a strict, cautious eye and the blond grumbled, "Yeah, yeah. I'll check."

Jounouchi got up to answer the door. Then he peeked through the eye hole and Atemu heard his sharp intake of breath.

"Who is it?" Atemu questioned, stance at the ready.

"It's…" and to Atemu's horror, Jounouchi opened the door.

Kaiba strode in, without a second of delay or formality, right towards Jounouchi.

"Jounouchi _no_!" Atemu cried.

But before Atemu could stop it, Kaiba had Jounouchi up against the wall.

…)(-)-(Annihilation)-(-)(…

The red stuff was everywhere. It dripped off the creature at multiple points in lines of cruel red. Splashes, from the creature's struggles no doubt, corrupted the white walls. It was an old torturing technique: let the angel be drowned by its own acidic blood. Obviously Atemu's doing. The floor and walls had been spelled, refusing to be dissolved. The creature's flesh, however, was not so well protected. Pain ran in pink welts down the creature, the welts which would eventually swelled and then burst themselves. The creature's destruction would be a slow and disgusting process.

"I had wondered when you would visit," the broken teeth and half dissolved gums said.

Luckily Ryou had a lot of experience hiding his mind from the Master. The only difference now was that he was hiding it from himself. After all he would have to look at the thing to read the truth in its eyes if he hoped to get any real answers.

Ryou's immortal lips pulled apart. But he hesitated. That was a mistake.

"What? Can't speak? Don't be embarrassed." The golden chains that entwined the creature were so tight that the thing's wings were wrinkled and twisted, perhaps all the way around. "Please, Your Highness, I want to hear you."

Ryou hardened himself once again. "You're talking a lot."

"I have to cope with the pain," the thing answered practically.

"Then you should be relieved to answer my questions," Ryou stated.

The creature chuckled. Or shook. Liquid in the creature's throat gurgled. The net of chains in which the thing hung jingled like bells. Ryou noticed that those restraints, like the walls and the floor, could not dissolve either. "Yes, yes. Let's talk," the thing agreed, eagerly. Ryou noticed the creature's words were quite chipper, crisply so.

Ryou built up his courage, and then calmly shut the door behind him. Now it was just him, the puddles of seething blood and the angel. The room was too small. "What is your military status?"

The creature was unimpressed. "I am a Guardian, you also know that." Then Ryou heard lips slide across broken teeth as the haunches were raised. "What is it, Your Highness? Nervous? This can't be your first interrogation."

Ryou glanced up into the creature's face.

Resist, resist… but the only thing on the angel's mind was Ryou the Human's brown eyes.

Ryou looked down. It didn't matter, he knew that answer to that question anyway.

"And why would your people send a weak Guardian to the mortal plane? What did they hope you would contribute to your team?"

Now Ryou was going to have to look up again… but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Who knows." The answer was light and carefree. Disrespectful. Taunting. Ryou's innards wrenched.

"Are you a scout?" Ryou continued.

"Not very sneaky, am I?" the prisoner commented.

Ryou thought of Atemu. "Are you a strategist?"

"Don't my eyes tell you that answer?"

If Ryou had still needed breath, his lungs would have stopped.

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?" the creature questioned. "After all the times you've peeked into my thoughts, that inhuman feeling of penetration. I thought it was interesting before… well," there was a scoff and a clatter of chains, "Before _this_."

Ryou did not swallow.

"It always seemed like you knew too much. I thought it was super human interaction skills but no…" A sigh. Ryou could still not look at him. "It was just rudimentary mind reading. Tell me," the chains rattled, "What good is it to see what is on the surface of the mind?" the broken angel reasoned. "A truly good person could have one evil thought, a single moment throughout his or her saintly lifetime, and you would judge them on it. You cannot tell character. Or locked secrets. Why do you think you never knew what I was until that day?"

"You have had training," Ryou argued stiffly. For he must have to know so much.

"Because it never crossed my mind before that day," the creature corrected in a triumphant manner. Another deranged laugh. "I know who I am, I don't need to constantly think about it. Your power is not that powerful."

Cords were struck and twanged painfully back into place, stretched and damaged, and still Ryou did not allow his face to move.

It didn't matter. It wouldn't change anything. This conversation did not matter. Ryou lifted his head. He dared to look once more into those hateful, hateful eyes.

Resist. Resist. Resist. _Resist_…

"Who are your fellow companions?" Ryou asked finally, stare holding firm, for the moment.

Thoughts behind the creature's eyes shifted but were too jumbled to be recognizable. Snippets of faces, multiple pairs of eyes flickered across the angel's mind in that second. But one caught Ryou's eye; it was the cold, blue as blue pair that shined in Jounouchi's consciousness every day. Did that mean that the Bleached Count also knew an angel? Ryou would draw it from his friend later.

"Find anything interesting?" the creature inquired curiously.

"I have one of the two," Ryou responded. "Your _cousin_, Yugi."

The creature scoffed. "You got that from Atemu's mind. Not mine."

Ryou felt the poison of betrayal once again and did not respond. How did this creature know such things? _How_? It was sickening. This talk. This supposed interrogation. What information had Ryou discovered so far? Nothing.

"Is this why you were placed on this mission? You're skills of observation?" Ryou tried to reclaim his calm but the world around him seemed to be slipping in every direction. There must have been a reason the creature _knew_ these things.

Above the realm of Ryou's sight, the angel's neck tilted to the side so that its head could lean upon its shoulder. "I don't waste my time observing others," the captive admitted. "I only enjoy reading you. You're so damn easy. Cling to that weak shallow skill as though its your only hope of communication."

Ryou couldn't think of anything to say. He couldn't think… "I can kill you."

"But you won't," the angel concluded.

It was Ryou's turn to scoff. "If you think human attachments matter here-"

"Who said anything about human feelings?" the angel questioned smoothly and Ryou felt as though he had been snagged in a trap. His jaw clamped. "I simply meant that you have yet to be ordered to execute me, and you still need answers. Though I think, if the opportunity did arise, you wouldn't do it yourself. You'd probably order that Blessed trash to do your sticky work for you."

"I would kill you myself," Ryou pressed insistently. He didn't know why.

More harsh, biting chuckles that hurt Ryou's ears. "Your Majesty, you are the most pretty liar."

Ryou had heard that before.

"_That's why I like you; you lie so fearlessly through your teeth." _

"Everything you were as a human was a lie," the angel continued. "Every smile, every word out of your soft little mouth."

For one horrified moment, Ryou thought that this was a comment on their previous sexual relations with each other.

"But even you, the Great Prince of Hell couldn't properly control your emotions at times, I think. There were a few moments where your true self broke through. The first time I met you, on that roof, before you spoke, that millisecond when you were staring out into that storm. That and when my teeth would brush your neck…"

_That_ was a dig on their human relations. Ryou wanted to curl up and decay.

"And that night in the café, after the dance…"

Ryou could not take this anymore. "You are wrong. None of that was real."

"Really?" the angel questioned. "Not even your pains of 'I can't, I can't'?"

Ryou was mad. His blood steamed and built pressure up against his brain. His body shook, too disgusted for words. "It's true, lying is a necessity in this line of work. But how dare you talk to be about lies. You are hypocrite. You came down to the Human World with the same disguise as I did."

The angel tilted his great head to his other shoulder, apparently intrigued. "But I never lied."

Ryou was furious. "You cannot expect me to believe that. The first time we met you said you didn't believe in Heaven. Isn't that blasphemous for your kind?"

"Is it so wrong to believe there is no paradise?"

"You live in it," Ryou bit.

"There is a reality in the cosmos labeled the State of Heaven, but it is not perfect or wonderful. It is a hole for arrogance to breed."

Ryou was stunned. This angel… was so… odd.

But surely it was only to save his skin?

"What would your Council say if you told them this?"

"The Council has heard me say it many times before." Then the angel leaned forward against the chains, toward Ryou, even though this movement stressed his body and increased the leakage of blood out of his wounds. "I _loathe_ that _fucking_ Council. And that is a concept that you, as a _mindless_, _perfect_ soldier of the Kingdom of Hell, cannot feasibly understand." The words he spoke were slow and deliberate.

A tightness was growing in Ryou chest. But there was a flaw in the creature's words…

"Are you saying that _everything_ you have said so far in your entire immortal life has been true?" Ryou questioned. He even let himself feel a little confident.

The angel hummed with his golden tongue, his face restlessly rising towards the ceiling. "You don't want to believe me. But I have no reason to lie. So why should I?"

Ryou removed himself from his wall and stepped too far forward but his eyes were fixed upon the angel's welts, the wound ridden chest.

"You said you loved me." The words exposed themselves to the air.

"I said I _thought_ I loved you," the angel corrected, unashamed.

"So an angel fell in love with a demon, you _think_?" Ryou spoke and wondered what emotion his mouth was emitting. He was too close to the angel. A puddle of crimson digested itself not two feet away.

"But you were human to me at the time," the angel reasoned.

Ryou's blood thirst was tangible. "It is not possible. It's against nature. It is against the Laws of Balance."

"Did that stop you from," the angel coughed, "_seducing_ an angel?"

"There was no feeling from my side," Ryou lied.

The golden angel did not lose a drop of confidence. "You want to stick to that story?"

Ryou didn't believe that deserved a spoken answer.

"Look in my eyes again," the angel ordered. "I dare you."

And as though the being had some odd spell over Ryou, the demon Prince felt his own stare raise and then fix on those angelic eyes.

Who knew so much weak human feeling could be crammed into a High Being's mind. And this was only the surface. That, lingering there in the angel's eyes, was him, himself, his human disguise, Ryou the Human holding hands with a dangerous, mortal individual named Bakura.

The thought was so strong, so pure, so concentrated that Ryou felt something in him slide sideways back out of place, the echo clashed against his reason.

Then, the edges of the angelic eyes curled.

'_Now_,' was their thought.

And even as Ryou saw it, he couldn't stop it.

There was a sweep of Bakura's mighty arms, crossing over his chest, then the collision of chains, and golden binds fell from above and either side. Ryou was twisted in those golden chains, surrounded by Bakura's golden wings, his own black wings bound tightly to his sides. He was swung forward right up against Bakura's form.

Then a golden mouth leaned forward, teeth still broken and bloodied.

"Find anything interesting?" the angel whispered.

Ryou's stare was at the level of Bakura's neck, the dangerous drip of blood inches from his face.

"You are going to Turn me Bleached, is that it? Force your angelic blood into my body? Is that my punishment?" Ryou asked, coils and coils of metal chain digging uncomfortably into his sides. His words were a little watery.

"I do not _wish_ to Turn you, Ryou. Besides, you and I both know that you could break these chains in a second, and yet you haven't," Bakura explained with absolute knowledge.

"Then what is your plan?" Ryou asked. He had given up pretending he had a say in this conversation.

There was a shift and Ryou's neck was soaked by hot, holy breath.

Ryou could not stop his body from rippling with the effects. His mouth cracked opened.

Bakura chuckled. "This _is_ fun."

Through the fuzziness of his mind and the pleasant feeling bubbling up to his useless brain, Ryou managed to grasp some kind of sense. "Bakura… we can't do this anymore…"

"Why not?" The hot breathe traveled the extent of Ryou's neck. Ryou softened like wax to the heat. "I _know_ you like this…"

Ryou could not shake off the feeling of pleasure from his body. "You are… my captive…"

Then Ryou felt like crying again. And he almost did so. His eyes were brimming with the white liquid. Ryou had to choke down a gasp of air to hold it in.

"Shhhh… now is now," Bakura hushed.

The angel's bruised fingertips hovered centimeters from Ryou's demonic flesh.

Ryou was trembling and bathing in every second of it. This was sick. This was wrong. This was wrong.

This felt _so_ good.

"I'm sorry, Bakura," Ryou whispered though his voice was dry. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…"

That mouth was drawing ever so much closer to Ryou's soft, tender, neck-flesh.

"Understand this," Bakura hissed. "I could have taken any of your fellows. But I waited. I waited for you."

Ryou had no idea what he was talking about.

Like electricity, a single tooth slid across Ryou's skin, exposed, flushed skin. It was so tantalizingly delicious Ryou felt weak and limp. The demon's mouth was so wide and so open that it was drying out.

That was when Bakura's fangs sunk in.

There was an explosion of pleasure and passion at first as Ryou felt again the hot, metallic, crimson liquid being drawn from his veins.

Then he thought about it.

Fangs?

Angels didn't have fangs.

But Ryou's vision was already going, as was his strength, as was the blood in his toes...

"Ba-kura!" he gasped and reached for his demon strength to break the chains and allow himself to escape… But as he reached for his strength he felt it wane away, being sucked into Bakura's hot mouth.

Horror. Terror. Ryou didn't have the strength to describe anything. It was all going too fast…

"Ba… k—" then his voice failed.

* * *

…)(-)-(Annihilation)-(-)(…

* * *

MORE CLIFFHANGERS! You can blame me beta on this one. Teehee. She insisted. I rearrange the chapter so that it ended here.

Btw, all these definitions are from "dictionary . reference . com". Paraphrased a little but just so that there are connotations and wonderful parallels to the plot. Yummy.

Saw Naruto last night. Watched like a whole episode. I know, I'm ashamed of myself too.

NEXT CHAPTER!: All angels and demons are revealed to each other. But what's going on with Bakura? He's a mysterious one. And there seem to be a lot of golden feathers on the ground…

**REVIEW!! **


	23. Discrimination

* * *

Ooops, my bad. I was about to upload the chapter _after_ this one! Silly me. _Then_ I didn't think I had this chapter ready but it totally was! Like a week ago… I got a bit distracted again. I don't know why I should apologize anymore. I'm just like all the other authors now.

Seriously, I'm sick of summer already.

Wow this chapter totally rocks! Seriously! This thing is chalked full of plot I can't even stand it!! WOOT! Actually I can stand it and its AWESOME!!

Another title I am proud of. Yay me.

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Chyaputa 23: Discrimination

1. Unfair treatment of a person or group on the basis of prejudice

2. The ability or power to see or make fine distinctions; discernment

3. Something that serves to differentiate

* * *

Jounouchi opened the door because he had seen one blue-eyed guy's warped form through the eyehole in his apartment door. And he opened the door without a second's thought cause, for a moment, Jounouchi forgot about angels and demons and remembered that this bastard would never in a million years come to his, Jounouchi's, home. And that shocked Jounouchi. So he opened the door.

He was so shocked that he forgot about Atemu all together. "Jounouchi, _no_!"

Kaiba, striding powerfully through the door with his long coat floating out behind the heels of his expensive shoes however, surprised the blond quite a bit. So much that Jounouchi didn't resist as Kaiba charged into the apartment and pinned Jounouchi up against the wall behind him.

_That_ shocked the blond. Like lightning.

"K-Kaiba," Jounouchi gaped because the arrogant bastard had him trapped against a wall. And they were very, very, very close. And Kaiba was looking right at him. Fuck _at_, the jerk was looking right _into_ him! Jounouchi could feel Kaiba's heat. They were less than a half a foot away. They had never done this before. _Never_ in all their suggestive, odd, not-straight-forward talks had Kaiba ever _touched_ him. And now his hands were on the wall behind Jounouchi's head and Kaiba was towering over him, dominating him.

"Jounouchi," Kaiba spoke his name like a word of recognition and not very warm or lustful, but very, very icy, totally opposite of the signal Jounouchi's human body was sending to his brain.

"_Jounouchi_!" Atemu cried. And as Jounouchi managed to pull all his senses away from Kaiba's supreme form, he saw fear in Atemu's face. "Jounouchi! He's an _ang_-"

Then Yugi walked in through the door and into the apartment.

Atemu froze up in an instant.

And Yugi was shinning with an aura of brilliance that made him hard to look at. His frail mortal body was flaking away.

That's when Jounouchi understood.

He turned back to Kaiba and discovered an angel with clean skin, smooth tidy hair, and a pair of splendid Tainted wings haunting its back.

And as though in apology, Jounouchi sighed and released his own form, the mass of his Bleached fleshy wings pushing Kaiba the angel's hands away from the wall, adding regretful distance between their bodies.

'He's _Tainted_…' Jounouchi's brain stuck for a second on this face. 'Just like me, Kaiba's-'

But someone else's words crashed through Jounouchi's train of thought.

"Where is Bakura?" the brilliant creature, once known to Jounouchi as Yugi, spoke. The syllables were so grand and powerful that it must have been a command.

Atemu unstuck his mouth but did not speak. He had yet to change into his own demon form.

Yugi was not looking at Atemu but at Jounouchi in an inquiring, forceful way that made the Bleached demon's brain sting under the pressure.

"_Where_ is he_!?_" This phrase made the apartment building quiver.

Then there was an explosion.

Not from the once-Yugi-sun-angel, but from inside the prison-closet where the angel in question was being kept.

'Shit,' thought Jounouchi.

In the aftershock the sun-angel charged at the prison-closet. Jounouchi broke through the Tainted angel's hold to follow the sun-angel. Atemu didn't even try to block the sun angel's path.

The door to the prison-closet flew away at the brush of the sun-angel's fingertips, then all could see the horror.

The entire back of the closet had been blown away and so had half of the human apartment next door. There was an unnecessarily large hole in the ceiling where something had escaped, five stories off the ground into the open air.

Ryou, the Prince of Hell, was in the closet. He was sprawled, legs, arms, wings, upon the rotting floor and there was a bloody hole in the side of his neck.

"Ryou!" Jounouchi screamed and lurched forward, but Atemu, as always, got there first and pulled Ryou's sagging body toward him.

"_Ryou_. Ryou, _wake up_!" Atemu commanded. His voice was uncommonly shrill and Jounouchi took that as a reason to panic. The ancient soldier of Hell shook the limp Higher Being so that his limbs flopped. "_Ryou_!"

The Prince shivered.

"Oh… Heaven…" said a very, very small voice. Jounouchi turned to see Yugi, with his magnificent white wings, tremble. And with another shock the Count saw a silver tear sprout from one of his large purple eyes.

The Prince of Hell gasped. He looked dry, _very_ dry. And very, _very_ pale. His poisoned black patches had waned and dimmed so that he was now splotchy gray all over.

Ryou's mouth gaped. Atemu brought down his ear so he could hear the message. "He… took so much…" the Prince hissed between white teeth, "…it hurts."

"Merciful Heav-" Yugi, the sun angel, sobbed. More tears were flowing down his face. Jounouchi couldn't believe it. An angel, cry for a demon?

"Yugi-sama," said Kaiba and Jounouchi had to spin because the Tainted angel was standing behind him. "There's no use being upset now."

Jounouchi could have screamed at that fucking ass-Tainted angel. But he didn't, out of respect for Ryou, out of respect for Yugi's tears, out of respect for Atemu's loyalty, Jounouchi remained silent.

Yugi was crying freely and his silver tears dripped down his cheeks and clung to the edge of his chin. "We came too late."

"Yes," Kaiba agreed, again, fucking callously.

"Oh, Bakura…" Yugi cried tearfully.

Wait? _Bakura_?

"He'll be gone by now," Kaiba stated. "We won't find him."

Jounouchi's mind stuck. They were talking about _Bakura_? That fucking _sadist_! He should have known. Why would these arrogant angels care about Ryou? It made Jounouchi's fury swarm in his ears.

"No." Yugi shook his head a little and drew his hands away from his face. "I know where he'll be, but we'll need to hurry."

In two great strides, Tainted-Kaiba reached Sun-Yugi's side.

"Wait a fucking second!" Jounouchi growled. His hands glowed with white electricity. "You think you guys can just _barge_ in here and _leave_?" Anger mingled with the sparks in his hand.

Sun-Yugi still had tears crowding his purple eyes when he turned to look at Jounouchi. And in that glance the Bleached demon was paralyzed with… with… not fear, but with a huge feeling of sorrow.

"I'm sorry, Jounouchi-kun," the Sun said.

The Count of Hell was surprised this angel could pronounce his name.

Then in a flash and a loud crack the two holy figures spun out of existence.

Jounouchi snapped his hands shut and the power was cut off. His anger was still shaken by Yugi's awful shot of sorrow.

…)(-)-(Discrimination)-(-)(…

Kaiba and Yugi appeared at the Kame Game shop to find the place in ruins. The building was still standing, however unstably, but everything else was a mess, as though a human tractor split the building open.

"Your deduction was accurate," Kaiba granted. They were both in their human form, for safety reasons.

If the destruction wasn't enough of a hint that Bakura was there, the place was littered with numerous golden feathers drifting amongst the wreckage. The sheer amount of golden feathers made Yugi's heart hurt.

Was it already too late?

Yugi ran into the building through the gaping hole in the side, determined to hold in his sorrow and fear until he followed this destructive track to the end. The humans inside the game shop were knocked out and spelled frozen, standing like awkward, surprised columns in the disorder.

Yugi's only thought was, 'At least he didn't kill them.'

The path of damage led to the marred upper story.

Stumbling over broken and wobbling wooden steps, Yugi reached the second level. He had yet to transform into his angelic form again as he dashed down the now uneven hallway, following the trail of fallen golden feathers.

Yugi found Bakura in the living room. Couches had been overturned and split open, the carpet was all ripped and scratched, and Bakura's television beyond repair. There were so many glorious, golden feathers that Yugi could no longer see the floor.

"Bakura…" Yugi moaned.

The hunched figure on the far side of the room was not the one Yugi had known for all his Higher Being existence. In its crouched form all Yugi could see was the crown of soiled wings. The once beautiful golden appendages were now gray and steely.

Gold had tarnished into a dull silver.

Yugi was filled with too mush sadness to be cautious and if Kaiba was behind him the Principality didn't stop the Hashmallim from rushing forward and dropping down by his old friend's side.

"Bakura?" Yugi croaked, his throat coated in hurt. "Bakura? Are-are you ok?"

There was a rustle, the new metal wings clicked. The mouth of this figure was all Yugi could see of its face, the rest was covered by hanging white hair. "O… k…" it spoke. "It's nothing… I haven't experienced before…"

Yugi trembled as he put a hand on the figure's shoulder. For once, it did not flinch under his touch.

"I'm sorry, Bakura," Yugi apologized with a bent head. "I—we—we went to rescue you. We found the demons and we went to save you, you know… but—but… it was too late." Yugi fell against Bakura's shoulder. The gray Higher Being's body was cold and hard.

"Don't be thick," the graying figure said simply. "You weren't going to make it in time." His voice was very quiet, not looking for blame.

Yugi dug his forehead into his friend's shoulder. "It's all my fault… all my fault… If I hadn't… Heavens, Bakura, if I hadn't—you wouldn't have been captured and then this wouldn't have—"

"If you hadn't convinced me to take the Council's orders and leave Heaven I would have wasted away to nothing in that jail. And if you had told us about Atemu it wouldn't have made a difference," the graying Higher Being reasoned like he knew, like he had seen it all. "This fate was sealed the moment I met that depressed demon Prince."

"But… but… Heaven, again? Why _again_? Why _you_, again?" Yugi moaned. His heart hurt. His chest hurt. His fingertips were raw from clutching the gray figure's shoulder. And the gray Higher Being let the Hashmallim hang there and feel sorry for himself, for his lost friend, for the universe…

"Don't dwell on it," said the Bakura figure.

Then Yugi lifted his head up. His human face was splotched with pink around the eyes, nose and cheeks. "We can fix it, Bakura. The Council did it before, they can do it again!"

Yugi could feel the air shift directions. There was a change in the conversation.

"The Council?" and now the gray figure's voice went odd. Yugi still had a hand on its shoulder, but it was like clutching a ball of iron. "Yes, yes, that terribly lovely Council…"

Yugi was not stupid. He noticed the change. "Bakura, they can help you. They will…"

"Oh, I'm not quite sure they would… not anymore…" answered the figure with its face hidden by its wild hair. "You want to know why? It's not hard to figure out."

Yugi didn't like the change that was coming over Bakura. Yet he still held onto that shoulder. "Bakura…"

And then the gray figure's shoulder started to tremble and Yugi realized, it was laughing. And Yugi's insides shivered. He did not like this.

"I agree, they should be afraid. They _should_ have been keeping me close by, watching my every move." Another harsh ironic laugh. "They should have never brought me back…"

"Bakura, you aren't well," Yugi insisted.

The air cracked, as if a bolt of lightening had crashed overhead.

The shoulder was ripped from Yugi's small hand. The graying figure got to its feet. The ugly wings of steel rose with it, clicking and clicking like thin blades. The once-Bakura-his-best-friend stalked over to the other side of the room.

"That's the Council speaking, not you," the gray figure pointed out. "You never quite understood, did you? They lie, Yugi. They are dammed filthy liars. They wrote my history so it would appear as though they did not want me collecting power. That bullshit. _Ha_!" His words were now triumphant and made Yugi tremble with the air.

And the graying Higher Being swerved around in a spur and flash of gray colors.

And he was sick; Yugi could see it in every line of his mad face. His eyes were no longer violet but a dark, muddy, indescribable color, although just as piercing as ever. And his copper skin had waned to a bluish tan, an unhealthy gray. But it was his face… the face that Yugi had once longed to see… now he couldn't stop himself from looking away.

"Look at me! I am not exactly what those _hypocrites_ wanted?!" Bakura laughed and it was madness.

"Bakura…" Yugi pleaded and he took a couple of steps forward, the old golden feathers rustled amidst the floor to make way for his feet. "You're not acting like yourself…"

But that wasn't the right thing to say either because the graying, decaying angel got mad. Madder. In both senses of the word. "You mean, I'm not acting like the pathetic instructor who taught you at the Academy?" he questioned severely.

"Yes," Yugi attempted bravely, taking still more steps forward. "The one who didn't care about power and didn't hurt his loved ones."

The gray figure's brows rose to a surprising height. "Oh? Loved ones? Does that include _you_, youngling?"

Yugi's mouth went dry. "I was referring to Ryou."

The gray creature paused to consider this. "I suppose… but wouldn't you say that he had it coming after what he did to me, Hashmallim-sama?"

Cold crept into Yugi's hollow bones. Since when did he call Yugi by his position instead of his name? When had they become so formal? "Bakura, you are still confused by the transformation. If we can get you back home to the Council…"

"And yet you _still_ trust that DAMNED _Council_!" the gray figure roared. There was condensed insanity glowing in his lined, exhausted face.

Yugi's core shook. He was afraid for his friend's health, for his wellbeing and especially for his own survival. Bakura was scary, because he now looked so serious.

"_Ah_, Yugi. The Council has you too well wrapped, I see that now. How idiotic of me to think that you could ever hear anything bad against them, a mindless slave till the end," Bakura accused in a hiss. And it felt that Yugi's immortal flesh was being ripped apart by those words. "When we left the Council, you know what they said to me? 'Remember where my loyalties lie?' That's what they said. My _loyalties_? I have no loyalty to _them_! They put me here. They brought me back and set me down here to track down _demons_. Free reign with _my_ powers, with my _history__?_" The gray angel leaned forward so that Yugi felt very, very small. Bakura had made him feel like that before, but only from his attitude, never by his immense power. "There is no energy resource, Hashmallim-sama."

"If the Council planned this whole thing, what is their goal?" Kaiba demanded. It was the first time he had spoken.

Bakura did not take his horrible reproachful eyes off of Yugi. "Why do you think those demons are looking for the same power source we're looking for? So that our two parties will come together, so both will be caught in the destruction. My Turning _is_ their great fucking plan! As much as I hate playing into their hands…"

At any other point during their mission this would have meant something to Yugi, but now he was too concerned with the dangerous gray angel, mad with power.

"I know this isn't your fault, Bakura," Yugi tried. If only he could keep the gray creature talking… "I know you didn't want to Turn-"

Bakura barked with vicious laughter. "You _really_ think that, don't you, Hashmallim-sama? You don't know me at all."

"I do, Bakura!" Yugi cried desperately. "Just let me help you!"

"What do you think I've been doing this whole time?" Bakura cried. "I've been looking for demons _so_ that I may Turn! That's been my aim the whole time, you insufferable _idiot_!"

Yugi froze. This was not Bakura, this was not Bakura, this could not be Bakura…

The graying angel rotated to the side. "Yes. I know what you are thinking, and I will hurt people. That's what power does. You know that, Hashmallim-sama and _that_ is why you fear your own power." Yugi flinched. "You are a philanthropist, Yugi-kun. But I am not. I _want_ to hurt people. And I will."

As he spoke, his steely wings clicked and rose into the air beside him. They spread throughout the space like a shiny canopy of iron flakes. His wingspan was twice as wide as it had been that morning.

"Bakura, _no_!" Yugi cried and jumped forward but the gray angel who never really acted like an angel to begin with, leapt from the floor and shot up, breaking through the ceiling.

Then he was gone in a flash. Yugi had never seen Bakura move that fast. Actually, he had never seen any angel move that fast before.

…)(-)-(Discrimination)-(-)(…

The move out of their home was disorderly. Atemu ordered Jounouchi to pack up every object that had even the slightest connection to Hell. Meanwhile, Atemu drugged Ryou with so many poisons that the guy fell into a fast and cooperative coma, which allowed his delicate body to be transported. So Atemu carried his precious belongings in a large cauldron while Jounouchi slung Ryou in his arms.

They had vacated the human apartment in three and a half minutes after the angels departure. Ten minutes before the human authorities arrived.

Their party was surrounded. A Bleached demon, an ancient Soldier and Hell's mighty unconscious Great Prince, against the eyes of the human world and three powerful angels, two Tainted, one as bright as the sun. Their prospects were not good, even as the demons headed into the woods in an attempt to throw the angels off their trail.

"Are you sure it's okay to stop?" Jounouchi asked as he lowered Ryou to the ground.

"We can't help it," Atemu answered as he searched through his bottles and dried weeds from Hell to find something, anything that would ease Ryou back into sleep. The Prince of Hell had not been able to return into his human figure, the immortal-to-human transformation would be disastrous to his health. Meanwhile his severe loss of blood had changed the Prince's color; his complexion became more ashen with each passing second. "Ryou needs to stay asleep or we'll have problems we can't deal with right now."

"And just _where_ are we going, Atemu?" Jounouchi questioned harshly. "We're in the woods. The fucking _woods_, for _Hell's_ sake! A bunch of trees aren't going to protect us! And if Ryou isn't in his human form _they_ can track him."

Atemu pulled out a blue-green bottle, uncorked it, and poured a dribble of the fluid into Ryou's mouth. "I know, Jounouchi. At the moment, however, we have no other favorable options."

Jounouchi seethed. "Damn," he cursed and shook himself, "Dammit, how did Ryou get in that room with that angel shit anyway? _Why_ did he?"

Atemu put his bottles away and retained his silence. He didn't want to begin any dangerous speculations until they were settled… somewhere. Even if Atemu thought he knew why Ryou had gone in that prison to confront the golden angel. Guilt blared inside of him. Was it his fault then that Ryou had ended up like this? If he had supported Ryou when he brought Bakura in, would it have made a difference? But there was no use lingering on the subject _now_.

Jounouchi's form jerked upright and he looked at the sky. "One of them is here," he announced roughly, certain doom echoing in his tone.

Atemu's gut clenched. It was all up to the angels now. He was useless in a fight of power, and though Jounouchi was an excellent fighter, he could not stand up to three angels. Especially the sun angel…

Atemu felt sick to his very core. That sun angel…

Jounouchi jumped to Atemu's side, standing guard over Ryou. Atemu stood; he knew their chances of survival were very small.

A twig snapped.

The angels were coming on foot? An abnormality was all Atemu needed. This was a positive sign.

Jounouchi spun in the direction of the approaching feet. His hands were stretched in front of him. Atemu knew that Jounouchi would try to take all the heavenly guards down with him. He was that stubborn sort of person Atemu admired.

The feet were clearly obvious now. They were small; Atemu's ears told him that. Hope prodded the ancient Soldier's conscience.

Atemu recognized the increments of little breaths before he saw the identity of the incomer.

"Jounouchi, don't-" Atemu warned but the blond flinched and a streak of white electricity burned across Atemu's retina. The lightning lit the surrounding woods, and the short human figure dropped to the forest floor.

Atemu's heart dropped with it. He grabbed Jounouchi arms to prevent any further attacks. "Stop," Atemu instructed firmly. "_Control_ yourself."

"Are you insane, Atemu?!" Jounouchi cried harshly. "That's the Sun Angel! He'll kill us if we don't act now!"

The tiny figure was still on the ground; he had not moved. And Atemu's had not breathed since thing had fallen. His ribs cramped with the strain. "Why would he alert us of his presence by coming on foot then? Why not arrive from above and catch us off our guard? Think Jounouchi!" Atemu insisted as he held imploringly onto the Bleached demon's arms.

Jounouchi's skin inflamed under Atemu's palms and the Count shoved his friend off with a violent heave. The ancient Soldier was flung to the dirt. "You're _mad_, Atemu! Don't you see he's not Yugi anymore?" Jounouchi cried with a ruthless attitude.

Then a small voice cried out. "Please! There is something I have to tell you!"

Yugi had spoken. Atemu inhaled a lovely, thankful breath.

"You should listen to your subordinate." Atemu did not know this voice very well; he had only heard it in his apartment earlier that day. Jounouchi, however, spun like a toy to face the Tainted angel with the blue eyes behind him.

Atemu had noticed before that Jounouchi's golden eyes enlarged when observing this particular individual.

"His methods are more rational than yours, Jounouchi," the Tainted angel observed.

The Count's mouth gaped. "I… you haven't got…"

"Please!" Yugi beseeched again. Jounouchi turned back and both he and Atemu realized that Yugi was not crouching but bowing.

Atemu quavered just at the sight of the back of Yugi's head.

This show of respect forced Jounouchi to lower his arms. He had a soft spot for sullied dignities.

While his dark companion leaned coolly against a tree, Yugi's head lifted up from the ground. "You guys are looking for a power source, right?"

Jounouchi, still gaping, rotated his head to meet Atemu's stare and share in this oddity but the soldier had only eyes for Yugi. The angel's purple eyes caught on his for the briefest moment, and pain struck the two participants, and both looked frantically away.

Atemu heard Jounouchi clear his throat. "Ah… why? Are you making an offer?"

Yugi raised himself up to his knees. "We are looking for the same thing."

There was a pause in which Atemu and Jounouchi really did exchange glances this time.

"But you guys have the power source," Jounouchi insisted. "How could you be looking for it?"

"Because, obviously, it is not in our possession," the Tainted angel behind them replied curtly.

Annoyance flashed over the blond's features. "Well, _excuse_ us if we don't believe you," Jounouchi argued fiercely. "And where's Bakura, _huh_? Hiding in the bushes waiting for an opportunity to jump us?"

The Tainted angel's stance shifted. Yugi's face flinched.

"That Being," stated the Tainted angel and his voice was hard and callous, "Is no longer a member of our party."

Atemu looked back at Yugi to see his beautiful purple eyes watering.

"What?" Jounouchi accused bitterly. "You guys have a problem with Fallen angels?" he asked with a sneer; this comment obviously directed to the Tainted angel.

"Jounouchi," Atemu warned again, examining Yugi's expression.

The Tainted angel was not amused. "Do not compare me to that abomination."

"Bakura…" the name, as Yugi pronounced it, was so jarring and painful that it hardly seemed the same word anymore, "Has a condition."

There was another awkward pause and Jounouchi, thankfully, felt the gravity of the two angels attitudes and did not press the matter.

Yugi wiped his eyes before speaking again. "We have come for a truce."

The silver droplets that hung from Yugi's small fingers broke Atemu's ancient heart.

"A truce? What for?" Jounouchi questioned.

The Tainted angel smirked. "Wouldn't you like _not_ to be destroyed?"

Jounouchi frowned haughtily at the threat. "You could try."

"Stop," Atemu ordered, "We have no time for your bickering. Either of you."

As he said this, Ryou stirred restlessly on the ground. His dry mouth and enlarged fangs snapped at the air. Immediately Atemu knelt to rifled through his medical bottles.

Yugi got to his feet. "Here, let me-" But as soon as he took one step, Jounouchi jumped in between the sun angel and the struggling Ryou.

"Don't you dare take a step near him or I will hurt you as best I can," Jounouchi threatened seriously and white sparks shot between his fingers.

Pain winced across Yugi's expression. "But… but…"

Atemu was still shifting through his bottles. "Jounouchi is right."

Yugi was horrified. "Atemu! I can help, you know I can!"

"You forget yourself, Yugi-sama," the Tainted angel, who had not stirred one inch from his tree, advised.

Atemu found his bottle again, escaping the possibility of having to look at Yugi's hurt expression. "Ryou has not been Blessed, yet," he stated firmly and uncorked the bottle. "Fortunately, all of Bakura's blood was sucked into his own mouth. Ryou still has a chance, unlike your friend."

"But my healing powers are pure magic, they will not Turn him," Yugi insisted. "I can help."

Atemu stuck the mouth of the bottle between Ryou's snapping jaws and let the potion dribble inside; he would run out of this potion soon and when that happened… then… "I will not take that chance. Even your strong angelic presence could infect him in his current fragile state."

"I will _not_ infect him!" Yugi cried with such desperation that Atemu thought there might be tears in his beautiful eyes again. Atemu's constitution wavered.

"Yugi-sama, control yourself," the Tainted angel counseled briskly.

"What? Are you giving the orders, Kaiba?" Jounouchi cursed meanly. Perhaps out of pity for Yugi, perhaps to escape more awkward conversation about Ryou. "Doesn't Yugi outrank you?"

Atemu saw the Tainted angel's mouth twitch into another smirk. "Do you accept this truce? We are offering you a hideout and our own services of protection."

"Protection against what?" Jounouchi questioned.

"Bakura."

Atemu's chest throbbed when Yugi spoke.

"Protection from someone on your own team?" Jounouchi asked.

"Bakura is not on a team, nor does he associate with anyone other than himself," Kaiba explained, unkindly cool.

"He'll come again," Yugi said slowly.

Atemu stood up, this time facing Yugi. "For what?"

Yugi looked up into Atemu's face. The angel's misery jumped through their innocent stares and shot Atemu hard. "For Ryou. You know he will."

Yes, Atemu knew. As his and Yugi's eyes connected, he knew.

"Why would he come again?" Jounouchi inquired.

"Because Bakura loves him," Atemu answered.

Yugi nodded. "And Ryou loves him."

"I have a safe house," Kaiba interrupted. "It was constructed in case our base was discovered by demons, but its location and existence were also unknown to Bakura."

"But why should you help us? What do you all gain from this truce?" Jounouchi questioned tactlessly. His glare was trained on the Tainted angel.

"Bakura needs to be captured and brought back to our realm to be cured," Kaiba answered. "It is a delicate operation since we cannot kill him."

"Ryou caught him before, it shouldn't be too hard," Jounouchi pointed out.

"Bakura is stronger now," Yugi said. "Much stronger."

Jounouchi frowned in misunderstanding. "Just because he's Fallen doesn't mean that his power has grown."

Yugi and the Tainted angel did not move.

"So you need bait," Atemu guessed, breaking the awkwardness.

Yugi bowed his head, but Kaiba did not have the grace to look guilty.

"No fucking way are you making Ryou your freaking sacrifice," Jounouchi cursed.

Kaiba was unimpressed with this burst of stubborn bravery. "Bakura will come for him either way."

"He's right," Atemu admitted.

"You're siding with _them_?" Jounouchi accused incredulously.

"You're taking things out of perspective, idiot," Kaiba observed coolly.

"Shut it, bastard," Jounouchi ordered.

Atemu looked between the two soiled Higher Beings. He didn't bother trying to discourage their squabbling anymore. It was inevitable with this pair. They seemed to have already developed a past history with each other.

Yugi stepped forward. "We don't want to hurt Ryou or put him in anymore danger. We want to help him, _and_ Bakura. The sooner we get him home the better."

Jounouchi realized he was being outnumbered. He turned to his friend one last time. "You're sure about this Atemu?"

His golden eyes flashed to Yugi as he asked this. The ancient Soldier knew what was on his mind.

"How dangerous is Bakura?" Atemu asked Yugi.

"Very," Kaiba answered curtly. "He is unpredictable. His mind is sick and therefore unable to track. Ryou's best chance is if we cooperate."

Atemu looked back down at the Prince's gray, patchy face poking out of the human blankets.

"What do you say?" Yugi asked.

His voice was so soft and small that Atemu had to look at him. Yugi's head was tilted slightly downward, meek or bashful. Guilty.

It was a clever trick. After all, what could happen? He was Yugi.

"Ryou can't be near you when you're in your angelic form," Atemu instructed Yugi.

Yugi nodded, again shamefully.

Atemu inhaled. "We need to take care of Ryou."

Jounouchi hesitated, eyed Kaiba skeptically and ruefully and then nodded as well. "If there's one sign of anything suspicious, your ass is mine, bastard."

Kaiba's expression remained still. "We shall see about that."

* * *

…)(-)-(Discrimination)-(-)(…

* * *

You hear that? Kaiba's ass is Jounouchi's… wait… no, that's exactly what I meant to insinuate. (nods)

Bakura… ROCKS!! Teehee. Yay! I got me ikkle evil Bakura back. And Ryou's wimpy… and unconscious! Like he is in most of the series. Mwahahaha.

SO MUCH SUBLTY!! I near died writing that last scene. It's been so long since I've written it though… Some of those lines I have to cut cause they were sooooooooooo deep it was abnormal. You know what I'm talking about. At all costs avoid the cheese.

NEXT CHAPTER!!

Two groups? Cooperating? Not if Kaiba can help it? Good old Kaiba, always there to pull rank on charismatic Atemu and have fantasies about Jounouchi's pretty eyes… I don't know if that actually happens though… maybe I'll put it in… _Any_who, LOTS OF TALKING.

**REVIEW YOU AMAZING PEOPLE!! **

**I COMMAND YOU!!**


	24. Damnation

Ok, I'm sorry this took so long but I've been waiting for my Beta to send me the next chapter. I _LOVE_ my Beta, she's super cool, and funny, and knows _grammar_. (GASP) But she takes a long time on chapters… then again my chapters are like SUPER LONG so I know I have to be patient... but I didn't want you guys to have to wait anymore. I apologize. (bows)

This chapter is very talkie. Please tell me if something does not make sense or if you don't get the plot. Thanks!

ENJOY!

Oh, you guys might like this chart again for this chapter:

Angel Hierarchy: (strongest to weakest)

Seraphim

Cherubim

Thrones

Hashmallim

Virtues

Powers

Principalities

Archangels

Guardian Angels

Demon Hierarchy:

King

Prince

Marquis

Duke

Count

President (yes, yes, it seems silly to me too, blame Wiki)

Knights

Marshals

Soldiers

Does ruination sound like a real word? _No_. But it is! Seriously? SERIOUSLY? Sounds like something I'd make up.

* * *

**Chyaputa 24: Damnation**

1. condemnation to eternal punishment as a consequence of sin.

2. an oath expressing anger, disappointment, etc.

3. failure or ruination incurred by adverse criticism.

4. the state of being sent to Hell.

* * *

The rural cottage Kaiba had secured in secret was minuscule compared to his human mansion and his colossal company offices. As Jounouchi, the two incompetent demons, the weakling angel, and himself approached the building, Kaiba entered a code into the panel and then allowed the computer to scan his fingerprint.

"Will this fancy human security keep your friend out?" the blonde with beautiful golden eyes asked.

"The human electronics are connected to magical wards that also surround the building," Kaiba explained dryly. "All exterior magic is, of course, untraceable and invisible."

Jounouchi rolled his eyes, "Of _course_."

Their moment was ruined by the unconscious royal Prince flinching in the Jounouchi's Blessed demon arms. Kaiba let his irritation pass under his skin, undetectable to observers, as he pushed opened the door.

There was one central room to the cottage, a combined modest kitchen and homely living room. The four doors off of the main room lead to one bathroom and three bedrooms. The entire architecture was plain and dull.

"Nice place," Jounouchi observed with genuine appreciation.

The place suddenly wasn't so bad; it had character.

"Jounouchi, put Ryou in there," Atemu instructed as he adjusted his grip on the cauldron that contained his rudimentary demon health supplies.

Irrational emotion sparked; Kaiba retorted, "If you want your friend to survive you'll bring him into the third bedroom. That is in the center of the shield and will provide the most protection."

The loud-mouthed Jounouchi, hidden within the golden human disguise, vacillated, uncertain whose command to follow.

The powerless Atemu was not rattled by Kaiba's correction, nor did he seem concerned. "Do what he says."

Jounouchi needed Atemu's leave to execute Kaiba's command? He would teach the Blessed demon otherwise. For now, Jounouchi presented Kaiba with an appropriately hostile glare before carrying Ryou off to the third bedroom. Overall, Kaiba was satisfied.

Yugi had positioned himself in the corner, not unlike a shameful child. Kaiba relished in the High Hashmallim's demotion; the action had been to the party's best interest after all.

The useless demon, Atemu, set his supplies in the center of the room. He faced Kaiba when he spoke, "Now that we have agreed to be housed in your shelter, and are therefore at the disadvantage, I want information." The insolent Soldier demon.

The shameful Hashmallim stepped forward, to come to the aid of this consort, no doubt.

"Are you ungrateful of our hospitality?" Kaiba questioned, challenging the subdemon. Superiority was on his side. "Do you even have a right to speak without your commanding officer present, Soldier?"

Atemu was not intimidated; he was as fearless as his Hashmallim lover was incompetent. "I have as much a right to speak as you do, Dammed angel."

Kaiba was still. That demon had impudence.

"Stop it, Kaiba-kun," Yugi insisted. "He deserves an explanation."

Kaiba did not take his eyes off his crimson, demonic adversary to counter Yugi's plea. "Am I supposed to take that as an order, Yugi-sama?"

"It was only a suggestion to a colleague," Yugi answered, retreating, as he should.

That amicable word, _colleague_, made Kaiba burn.

"Can't get along with even your own people, Kaiba?"

Jounouchi had reentered the room. Kaiba's body pulsed uncharacteristically to discover the demon with the amber eyes was behind him.

"You sure are one difficult bastard," Jounouchi continued. He was looking directly at Kaiba. He always did when they spoke together. He was always so admirably stubborn. The Blessed demon's eyes were pure electric honey. Kaiba almost felt hungry.

"Ryou is secure?" Atemu asked.

Jounouchi transferred his attention off of Kaiba, which annoyed the Tainted angel. "Don't worry, Ryou's all safe."

"Then we can talk," Atemu announced as though it were decided.

Jounouchi and Yugi followed his command and sat down.

Kaiba remained standing. This crimson demon was irritating. He had no status or official influence over this party; where then did he find the authority to command it? Perhaps it was his above-average charisma. Was that the reason Jounouchi followed him without resistance?

"I want to know why you no longer consider Bakura an ally," Atemu demanded.

Yugi breathed and clasped his hands together, a symptom of his guilt. "I only know the little of Bakura's past that has been described in our history documents. Bakura has lived a long time."

"How long?" Jounouchi questioned. Always so annoying curious, Kaiba recognized.

Yugi's gaze drifted upward in thought. "Four- five thousand years or so."

There was a look of knowledge that passed between Jounouchi and Atemu, the demon Soldier. That date was significant.

"He was in the Early Wars then," Atemu confirmed.

Kaiba saw the age gleam in his expression. This demon Soldier could not be that old, not three thousand years. Higher Beings dissolved into the flow of time by that age, or had grown so far in power and rank that they had disappeared up the chain of command into mystery. This was aside from the exceptions, like Bakura, who were too immature to move on.

"He's never talked about his days as a member of the Holy Army to me," Yugi continued. "You must understand," Yugi bowed his head. "Bakura despises… most things in existence, but especially, _especially_ the Council of Seraphim and Cherubim. He hates them so much he goes mad. He gets insane. And he's always been this way."

"But why?" Jounouchi inquired, exposing his obstinate curiosity again. "They're your leaders. What could they have possibly done to him, a Guardian?"

"He didn't used to be a Guardian," Yugi corrected. "In the Early Wars… he was really powerful. I read he was more powerful than a Throne of today, he was almost a Cherubim, practically ready to grow that extra pair of wings but… the Council told him to join the battle rather than be initiated into the Council. They promised him a seat after he returned but…"

Here Yugi paused and he swallowed. "Bakura wasn't the only ultra powerful Higher Being out there. There was another, a demon. The records don't mention a name, but he was a Marquis, maybe a Prince. Bakura was still more powerful then him but the Marquis made up for the gape in their strengths with strategy." The High Hashmallim paused once more.

Jounouchi's golden head snapped onto Atemu, his thoughts painfully obvious. Atemu stopped showing signs of recognition.

Yugi shifted in his seat. "The Great Marquis lured Bakura into a trap and caught him."

"But Bakura escaped," Atemu commented; it wasn't a question. Yugi was the only Being in the room that was surprised that Atemu knew this.

"Only by draining every last one of those demons dry," Yugi finished with a shiver. "I should have mentioned that before. Bakura has this… condition, well, a special gift, really. He can absorb outside energy, exclusively _demon_ energy. So unlike other angels, when Bakura tastes a demon's blood, or demon energy, he won't just Fall, he will absorb the demon's power and add it to his own."

"_What_? He can take power through blood? Like a _demon_?" Jounouchi questioned loudly.

Yugi nodded, remorse lining his face, but Atemu's reaction was far more interesting to Kaiba; the crimson demon's expression got wide and drained of its colored tone, a very fascinating reaction indeed.

Jounouchi fell back into his chair, horror reflected on his face. "So when Ryou wakes up again, he won't have his power anymore?"

"It depends how much blood Bakura managed to take," Atemu answered; his hands clutched with unnecessary need to the arms of his chair.

Yugi shrunk with guilt. The feeling was killing the Hashmallim, Kaiba deducted. "It's all legend after that. Bakura grew so strong after taking all those demons' power that no one could stop him. He attacked both sides, angels and demons, massacring them by the thousands."

"I heard something like this a long time ago. Talk about some kinda berserker creature," Jounouchi added. The skin of his nose wrinkled at the bridge as he strained his brain to think. "I didn't know it was originally an angel. Why did he attack both sides then?"

"What? You don't understand?" Kaiba questioned his Bleached demon haughtily. Jounouchi's fiery, yellow eyes sparked up at him; Kaiba's satisfaction with the idiot grew. "You don't remember the mix of antagonistic chemicals in your system when you changed? How your body attacked itself? Can you imagine that feeling amplified by thousands?"

Jounouchi conceded the argument to Kaiba.

"It would turn you insane," Atemu agreed and his eternal gaze drifted off with his thoughts.

"He needed to be stopped," Yugi gulped and his face looked squeezed. "So both sides, the Kingdom of Hell and the State of Heaven, joined together and eventually killed him."

"He caused the sides to unite, trade treaties for a temporary cease-fire so they could concentrate on a common enemy. He ended the Early Wars," Atemu concluded.

"But he couldn't have actually died. He isn't dead now," Jounouchi argued.

"His soul was sent to Purgatory," Yugi said. "Technically he was out of existence for almost two and a half human millennia."

"Two and half _millennia_…?" Jounouchi repeated in awe.

"The Council brought his soul back, to give him a second chance," Yugi explained. "They said it wasn't necessarily his fault, it was just survival instinct."

"Well, that was nice," Jounouchi said, "Right?"

Kaiba admired the Blessed demon's ignorance. "For appearance's sake."

Yugi continued. "But when he was brought back all of his power had gone. He was just a simple, powerless Guardian angel. The Council employed him as an instructor to train new incoming souls because of his vast knowledge. That's how I met him. But shortly after I exited the Academy, Bakura quit the Council's employment and lingered with the darker people of our society, the Dirty Market, which secretly sells angel products to humans. He was arrested not long afterward then the Council called him on this mission."

All members of the room sunk into a silent, pondering depression. Kaiba noticed Jounouchi's large mouth was twisted into a pitiful frown. Appropriate after a talk about such a droll figure.

"And now?" Atemu urged, specifically not looking at his beloved Hashmallim.

Yugi bit his lower lip. "He heard you guys were also looking for an energy source, just like us. Now Bakura suspects the Council is behind this, the energy source and his Turning."

"When Tainted, the fool is significantly more delusional than usual," Kaiba interrupted as all faces turned upward to him. Kaiba felt the power shift. "The Council cannot be behind this; it is unfeasible, not to mention impracticable for the Council to want Bakura Turned into a powerful Being again. The only two rational explanations are that there is an energy source but that it belongs to neither side, or- the most _plausible_ conclusion- that there is no energy source at all."

"Seems like a stretch. What are the chances both Heaven and Hell were mistaken?" Jounouchi questioned and his inquiry was out of curiosity, not a fierce challenge to Kaiba; the idiot was learning to trust his judgment.

"We can't make any conclusions about this power source without a proper investigation," Atemu asserted mildly as he brushed the Tainted angel's brilliant conclusions away; Kaiba was more than annoyed. "Besides we have more immediate matters at hand."

"Like what will happen to his Majesty?"

Shock jumped through every soul in the room, even Kaiba's.

It was not possible.

But there he was. Bakura. Sitting in one of those cushioned chairs, human knees bent to his chest, mortal arms extended on the armrests. He had a bizarre smirk, too wide for his sickened face. His skin looked absurdly transparent.

Every soul jumped from their seats right into their Higher Being forms; waves of released power rocking the walls of the shelter.

Bakura was not concerned. "What a welcome."

"How long have you been here, Bakura-kun?" Yugi questioned but the Hashmallim was so terrified that the brilliant light of his white wings dimmed.

Bakura pondered this with a mild air. His human skin hung on his frame like an oversized curtain. "Since the beginning of my story, which wasn't told very well. Am I to be continually surprised by your faithlessness in me, Hashmallim-sama?"

Yugi choked. "I didn't mean-"

Atemu and Jounouchi stepped protectively forward, but Kaiba deserved to speak first. "You cannot be here."

Bakura rotated his head to the Principally. "Why not? This is an angelic house, is it not? I am an angel. It's some others in this gathering whose memberships I question."

"My wards would have caught you," Kaiba demanded and outraged.

Bakura shrugged and extended his skinny legs, loose human jeans hanging from his bones; he had lost a significant amount of body mass during his transformation. "Did you not listen to my story? Your wards are powered by you, your demon-flavored energy. And I'm very good at absorbing demon energy, if you recall."

Bakura licked his chapped lips with a dry tongue.

Kaiba's innards shook.

Unconcerned, Bakura's gaze sauntered about the room. "I thought you all would have figured that out before I revealed myself. I'm disappointed, especially in you Atemu, with all your years of experience. It's so sad to be mistaken." He stood with a sigh, human form unstable.

Kaiba fought the spasms of weakness that plagued his self control. There was a deadness in the air. Kaiba felt it in his bones. His own power _absorbed_? By this monster? Kaiba tightened. Even now his sophisticated wards on the house were sucking more and more power out of him. The longer Bakura stayed the more power Kaiba was losing…

There was a feeling, an old feeling, that came back to Kaiba at dark times. Uselessness. A weakness in his joints as though they were locked and imprisoned…

"Why did you come back?" Yugi cried. "Why are you subjecting Ryou to more pain?"

There was a chuckle from the monster. "Why do you think I came back for His Majesty? Just because you obsessively fantasize about Atemu doesn't mean I am similarly love-struck."

Yugi flinched like he had been physically struck.

Atemu's eyes flashed down to the Hashmallim for one vital moment, then the demon soldier strode forward, though he had no power or authority. The reckless fool. "You have hurt him nonetheless," Atemu threatened.

Bakura's eyebrows rose. "Who? Your dear Yugi? Or your dear Ryou? One of these days you're going to have to choose between them."

Atemu was relentless. "I will not be intimidated by cheap mind tricks. You _will_ leave this house, even if we have to force you. If you are cunning then you already know that combined our power is still enough to overwhelm you."

Casually, Bakura smirked, as if he knew this threat could not be taken seriously. "And in your careful calculations, did you consider the fact that both Kaiba's and your powers are defenseless against me? Do you really think Yugi-sama with his hesitant heart and Jounouchi, your angel-fucker, are enough to stop me?"

Jounouchi was a second from pouncing when Kaiba seized his Blessed shoulder. The idiot would have gotten himself killed if Kaiba hadn't stopped him.

"I do," Atemu stated challengingly.

Yugi's shamed head lifted a little, a grateful light within his eyes. It was ridiculous how words had such a strong effect on the Hashmallim.

Bakura, with his dissolving mortal body, strode casually about the room. "I suppose you would be the one to know, Atemu. After all, you are the only Being still in existence who has seen my first transformation."

"What? Atemu couldn't-" Jounouchi jumped but then realization diffused into his brain. "Oh…" The blonde gazed at the demon soldier, as well as everyone else.

Atemu recoiled at this unexpected turn, his expression wide and unbelieving. "You are mistaken," he stated as fact.

Bakura's lids narrowed in amusement. He remained standing, his body erect. "I don't blame you for not remembering. You've had three thousand human years to recover from- or I suppose, to wash out- the memory of the Early Wars. That is a long time to be wallowing with your festering herbs in the dank corners of Hell's society."

Atemu's confidence finally waned. "I can't recall anything that far back."

Bakura smirked, pleased. "I had hoped you wouldn't, so I could break the lovely news to you."

In less than a second, with no visible movement, the unstable angel was across the room, a foot from Atemu, intimidatingly close.

Yugi's eyes grew in terror; Jounouchi was dazed.

"I saw your face at the mention of that Marquis, the one who captured me, the Throne of Heaven." Bakura was so close his breathe ruffled Atemu's bangs. "You recognized that story. Only subconsciously perhaps, but it rang a little bell in you somewhere. Do you think that's the reason why you've felt such a strong hostility toward me since we've met?"

At this new challenge Atemu remained firm. "If it was so many years ago, how do you remember?"

Bakura's smirk stretched into a grimace. "Do you know what Purgatory is? Do you have any idea how rare distractions are in that gray mass? Even for two and half millennia…"

Atemu stood his ground. "I've never visited but I heard time stops in that place."

Bakura was sickly. "It's all too true. And think of the souls that don't get harvested back into the circulation of Heaven or Hell. How dull it must be for them. All would gladly take Hell's deepest slums over that boring place. Eternal suffering is better than feeling nothing at all."

This conversation was useless; Kaiba was getting anxious. The only reason Bakura was staying to talk was so that he could absorb as much of Kaiba's power as he could. This couldn't go on. The longer he stayed…

"Enough of this," Kaiba growled.

The crowd turned to him.

Bakura grinned. "What is it? Nervous, Kaiba-kun? Feeling a little weak?"

"Shut up!" Kaiba snapped. He was being too hasty. Everyone knew. Bakura knew it. He was grinning because he knew.

"What's up with you?" Jounouchi demanded. Only the Blessed demon didn't understand because he was too stupid!

"Nothing, idiot. Except we're holding a cordial conversation with an individual who we all deemed just ten minutes ago was dangerous to come within five feet of Ryou."

Atemu's expression reset, remembering his duty to his unconscious superior.

"It's unlike you to be so rash, Kaiba," Bakura taunted.

Kaiba ignored Bakura and focused all his energies on Atemu. "The longer he stays here the more damage he does to us. The more damage he does to Ryou, isn't that right Atemu?"

"I already know that," Atemu answered.

"Seems to me that you were a little too wrapped up in your own past to remember."

"Calm down, Kaiba," Jounouchi cried.

This was getting ridiculous. Kaiba lurched forward and grabbed Atemu's shoulder. "You really want Ryou to wake up with this guy here? You know what will happen, don't you? You want your friend in archdemon-mode when _he_ is nearby?"

"Ooo, that's a low blow, Kaiba-kun," Bakura chuckled. The freak was enjoying himself.

But Kaiba pulled all his concentration onto Atemu. He had hit this demon Soldier's weak point. He would cave soon.

Atemu turned away. "Yugi."

The obedient Hashmallim jumped. "Atemu?"

"Get Bakura out of here. Jounouchi, you help," Atemu ordered. And no matter how much Kaiba hated not being the one in command, things were now at least going as he planned.

Yugi, however, was still stuck between loyalties. He hesitated.

"Do what your lover says, Yugi-sama," Kaiba snarled.

Yugi was horrified. And yet he was the one with the most power here. He was the only one who could force the freak to leave.

"He won't do it," Bakura said with so much confidence it seemed certain. "He's too wracked with guilt. Poor thing."

The muscles in Yugi's throat convulsed, yet still he did not move. "Bakura, please. Bakura, please just leave. I don't want to hurt you."

"Of course you don't, Hashmallim-sama," the gray traitor said. "The Council wouldn't like it if you damaged me would they? It would ruin their plans."

"He won't listen to reason, Yugi-sama. The fool has lost his mind," Kaiba urged. It sickened him to have to divert to these cheep tricks but he had no choice.

A groan broke through space.

Ryou's groan.

The demon Prince was fighting for consciousness.

Bakura cocked his deranged head towards the demon Prince's room. "Why it seems as though his Majesty is about to break from his slumber."

Atemu dashed for the bedroom, not even a glance behind him to see if the freak was following.

Bakura shed his mortal skin like a snake. A cascade of metal shingles rained behind his back, falling to his knobby ankles. It was horrific, bone gray, bone thin, bone dry. He looked worse than he did in the dismantled game shop only a few hours ago. Could he really have decayed this much after such a little amount of time? The gray creature, Bakura, however only _looked_ frail. Kaiba's ears filled with the ring of power.

Jounouchi jumped to guard position, claws extended. Fighting even while it was futile, the idiot. But at least this Blessed demon had a chance against Bakura, if Kaiba tried to fight with his powers they would only be absorbed and added to Bakura's current strength, which could not afford to be any stronger. Kaiba was useless. Atemu had disappeared. Their commander had abandoned his post. And Yugi was a mess of rattled nerves.

"Bakura, _please_! I am on your side! Don't hurt Ryou!" the Hashmallim squeaked uselessly.

The gray freak, like Kaiba, was sick of listening to the Hashmallim. He didn't even comment as he glided like a specter towards Ryou's room, lazily as though not caring, not seeing, not concerned with the others around him at all.

Luckily Jounouchi jumped in his way.

Luckily Bakura threw him violently to the ground.

And though Kaiba's muscles clenched to see that lovely golden face smash to the floor, it was just what they needed.

Because now that one of his friends had been damaged Yugi would fight.

Blood dripped from Jounouchi's nostrils and in between his once-white fangs as the Blessed demon sprung back to his feet again. The idiot had endurance at least.

Yugi was at his side this time.

Bakura opened his mouth to taunt, to weaken his once best friend with words, but before speech could exit his throat, the gray freak was blasted backwards. The white blaze of suns filled the room, brighter than Kaiba had ever seen. Jounouchi was helping, of course, that could be recognized by the electric buzz around Bakura's slippery form.

Four seconds later. The gray freak was gone, driven forcefully out of the shelter and flung through the front door into the forest.

Kaiba stopped himself from being impressed. He drew in whatever power was left in the wards back into himself as Yugi unlit like a candle.

The Hashmallim spun to Jounouchi. "Ryou. How is he?"

Jounouchi nodded dutifully. "I'll check."

Yugi silently agreed to stay behind. He knew, after all, the further he stayed away the more chance Ryou had of survival.

There were some nasty noises coming from the room that housed the weakened Prince.

…)(-)-(Damnation)-(-)(…

Atemu would only leave Ryou's side after stuffing a half pound of Baz Hell Leaf down the Prince's throat. They were out of potion and this herb was a poor substitute but it would paralyze the royal demon at the very least.

The house was steaming from its recent over spill of power. But Kaiba had collected his power threads from the protective spells; now the house was as useless as any human structure.

Atemu emerged from Ryou's bedroom to find Jounouchi lounging fiercely on the sofa and Kaiba stalking the room with his eyes. Yugi was huddled in the corner.

"We need shields," Atemu said.

"Obviously," Kaiba snapped. He was in a foul mood.

"So what? Yugi's got enough power. He can get the shields up. All you need to someone to power them, right?" Jounouchi suggested.

"Yes, and that would flood the walls with angel influence. Ryou's body won't be able to take it," Atemu scolded. Jounouchi should know better.

"Then let the idiot do it," Kaiba suggested, with a brisk gesture to Jounouchi. "Bakura can't absorb him cause he's Blessed, and the angelic signature in his aura is much weaker."

Jounouchi frowned. "I'd have to stretch but I could manage."

Atemu approached Yugi sideways, trying to subtly see how the boy was doing. He looked shaken, a little pale.

"It doesn't make sense," the Hashmallim mumbled.

"What?" Jounouchi questioned.

Yugi's tiny shoulders squeezed themselves together. "The power source, it doesn't make any sense. What would make the Council think there was a power source?"

"What does that have to do with the Bakura problem?" Jounouchi demanded.

A change came over Yugi that was almost startling. He began to pace the room as though decided about something. "If we knew how these rumors about a power source were started maybe we could convince Bakura that the Council didn't do anything wrong."

"There's still a chance that a power source does exist," Atemu pointed out.

"It's highly unlikely," Kaiba criticized. "And if we found a solution Bakura wouldn't listen. The fool's brain has already rotted."

"You don't know that. I believe in him," Yugi insisted shrilly.

The hope and determination in Yugi's voice warmed Atemu, although he couldn't help but feel as though it were a little wrongly placed.

"And what happens if we do find a power source?" Jounouchi questioned, rising from his sofa. "Are we going to fight over it?"

"No one wants to fight," Atemu growled.

Kaiba smirked. "In a battle, without your Prince, your side would lose."

"That doesn't matter right now," Yugi interrupted. "We're all still in the dark. Still in the same situation. We need to know what's going on." Yugi turned to Atemu and it stunned the soldier. "You guys didn't hear anything other than that there was a power source right?"

"That was all that Ryou told to us. The existence of a power source and its location," Atemu answered.

"But we weren't there when the instructions were given," Jounouchi added. "Ryou was the only one who heard them."

The Hashmallim pondered this, small feet shuffling. "We need to know more. We need to know something."

Atemu was impressed at his little Yugi. So serious.

Yugi looked up. "Kaiba, you have the original location information correct? And you have been gathering research throughout our stay, you must know something."

Kaiba did not physically move. "I have compiled some charts from the Council's data as well as from my own observations," he confirmed.

Yugi looked eager. "Can we see them?"

Kaiba switched to impatience. "It is not a matter of simply calling them up. They are stored at my human home, protected."

"Would it be possible to bring them here?" Yugi asked.

Atemu actually thought Yugi was onto something. Something potential. But Kaiba was going to be difficult.

"Is than an order?" the Kaiba inquired, being difficult as always.

"For Hell's sake," Jounouchi cursed in exasperation. "Leave the guy alone!"

Yugi gained confidence from the Blessed demon's outburst.

"We're cooperating, Kaiba," Atemu reminded the Tainted angel. "That's what happens when you're on the same team."

Kaiba scowled, scrutinized Atemu and then Yugi again. "I will leave as soon as possible."

Yugi was relieved.

"You shouldn't go alone," Atemu suggested.

Kaiba scoffed. "I can take care of myself."

"Against Bakura?" Atemu questioned.

Kaiba looked mean.

"I'll go with you," Jounouchi voiced.

"You have to stay here and power the house; we've already decided this," Kaiba shot down, so severely that Jounouchi actually looked hurt.

"I can power the house," Yugi announced.

"No you can't," Atemu disagreed. "Ryou…"

And Yugi actually glared at Atemu. "My protections would be far stronger than any Jounouchi-kun could conjure up- no offense Jounouchi-kun." The Blessed demon nodded off the statement good-naturedly. "Bakura wouldn't have a chance of getting in. And to protect Ryou I can create a smaller shield around his room. I can manipulate my power into pure, unbiased magic; you know I can. Ryou will be safe. Better than safe, the pure magic would help him heal."

There was a pause. It took a moment for Atemu to realize that all the members of the room were waiting on his decision. But Atemu didn't want to risk it. He knew Yugi was right, that his shields would be better. But Ryou…

Yugi saw the stubbornness in his face. "Trust me, Atemu."

Those magic words. Atemu breathed, he could not resist Yugi for long. "Ok."

Yugi smiled like a kid and Atemu's insides moistened like icing.

"Then I can go with Kaiba," Jounouchi cheered.

Kaiba was dubious. "I would travel faster alone."

Jounouchi challenged his arrogance. "What makes you think you can keep up with me?"

"It would be a good idea to go in pairs, just in case," Atemu agreed.

Kaiba's jaw set itself, eyes sparkled menacingly.

"It's settled then," Jounouchi concluded smugly.

"You two should leave before I put up the shields, I can let you back in once you return." Yugi folded his legs right there in the center of the room and sat on the carpet, thin knees protruding out from his scrawny body.

Jounouchi and Kaiba nodded simultaneously, and without a look to each other, practically dissipated out the door.

Yugi and Atemu were suddenly very alone.

Atemu's breath hitched.

"You'll want to stay with Ryou, right?" Yugi voiced.

Atemu started. "What?"

Yugi already had his eyes closed, preparing himself. "When I create a shield around Ryou, you'll want to be in the room with him, right?"

Atemu made his fluttering heart settle. That was what Yugi had meant. "Yes. Thank you."

Yugi nodded. "I'll make sure no one can pass through the shield, just in case Ryou wakes up."

Atemu felt his lips stretch in a smile. "I would like that."

Yugi didn't know Atemu was smiling at him because his eyes were closed. He wasn't letting anything distract him in his moment of meditation. So Atemu went into Ryou's room, sat down on the wobbly chair next to Ryou's bed, the Prince in a dead coma.

He felt the shields raise around them, like a shell of light. The impression from it was soft. Ryou would not be infected with anything.

Atemu sighed warmly. That Yugi was an amazing Being.

* * *

…)(-)-(Damnation)-(-)(…

* * *

YAY! Cooperation! That was another choice for this chapter title but isn't DAMNATION so much cooler? And this chapter is kinda darkish… gray at least. Damnation was better I'm sure you all agree.

Yeah, I appreciate it too when Yugi finally _does stuff_. Don't get me wrong I LOVE the guy but sometimes he can get a bit… too wimpy. (but so are all ukes, _really_) But then he wouldn't be Yugi. I was so glad when he finally got to be cool and take charge again.

Ryou didn't do much this chapter except twitch and groan. Still a star performance. I'd give him best supporting actor but I am biased.

Bakura is SWEET! So how do you all like him evil, huh? Isn't he the best? Tasty is more like it…

NEXT CHAPTER!

The group splits. Jounouchi tries his best to get Kaiba in the mood but the arrival of a dangerous enemy ruins it all. Another attack on the shelter and not even Yugi's shields can protect against this Darkness. An old friend I'm sure you all are aching to see again.

**REVIEW!! **

If you have questions about anything please ask! I tried to make this chapter as clear as possible… I live to serve you ladies and gentlemen. (haha, who am I kidding? Geltemen, ptfh.)

**REVIEW!!**


	25. Abomination

This is my fault. I really really really like my beta, she's funny, she's smart, she's sweet, she's crunchy, she's salty, jk, but she's not responding fast enough but I can understand cause my chapters are super long and I guess I can't expect much but… I can't let you guys down. I WILL FINISH THIS STORY!! ON MY WORD OF HONOR, BY THE POWER OF GRAYSKULL— I kid, I kid, I kid…

Sorry, guys. Really I love you all.

This is all thanks to PSYchOtiC-teNdencieS for kicking me in the butt. I love you, girl.

P.S. this chapter is wicked awesome.

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Chyaputa 25: Abomination

1. a person who is loathsome or disgusting

2. the feeling of extreme disgust and hatred, abhorrence, detestation, loathing

3. That which is abominable; anything hated, wicked, or shamefully vile

4. a cause of pollution of wickedness

* * *

Jounouchi was going to enjoy this trip. He was determined to enjoy it. A journey with Kaiba to his not-so-humble home. Yes, the whole reason they were going to the Kaiba mansion was pretty serious, and there was no way Ryou's condition was in any way funny. But Jounouchi lived in the moment. And right now he was with Kaiba…

Fortunately, they tied the race to the mansion.

"I beat you," Jounouchi pronounced, stepping in through the front door. Kaiba did not take the argument. Jounouchi didn't think he would.

The mansion was dark and very empty. Creepy.

"Where are all your servants?" Jounouchi wondered.

"I fired them," Kaiba said. "No more reason to keep up the pretense, is there?"

Jounouchi frowned. Cutting poor humans out of their livelihood. But Kaiba didn't care about things like that.

In the hall, Kaiba finally offered Jounouchi some rigid conversation. "My research is upstairs."

"How interesting," Jounouchi taunted.

Kaiba glared at him. "Stay here. Remain in your demon form and stand watch."

"And miss you rummaging through your desks and pantries?" Jounouchi questioned. He let disappointment show on his pouted lips.

Kaiba glanced hard at him. "You'll live."

"I don't know about that," Jounouchi spoke honestly. "You, exploring odd dark rooms, alone. Seems like some major missed opportunities."

Yeah, Jounouchi was having fun. It was sick.

Kaiba lifted his stare from Jounouchi. "It wouldn't be that exciting," he stated flatly.

That could have been an insult. But Jounouchi shrugged. "What, Kaiba? Not in the mood?"

"No," and Kaiba climbed into the elevator. "Don't leave this room."

"Your loss," Jounouchi called getting, just as he had planned, the last word. Nothing pissed Kaiba off more that not getting the last word. Jounouchi was on fire today.

But Kaiba was gone now and Jounouchi was growing bored fast. He paced the mighty hall, feet purposely stomping to create echoes on the high ceiling. He whistled. He hummed. But was still bored, ghostly white wings flapping uselessly behind him.

Kaiba was taking a long time.

Jounouchi kicked up his heels, his demon claws clicking on the flawless marble. Time to make Kaiba squirm.

So Jounouchi wandered. He didn't travel far. He stayed on the first floor but that was enough to keep him mildly interested. The rooms were pretty much the same, rich and too big for practicality.

Kaiba would have to go looking for him when he came back down. He would be pissed but only a little. He would act more pissed than he was when he found Jounouchi. They would trade curt, suggestive, remarks, at least on Jounouchi's side, and then they would leave.

Jounouchi reached the kitchen. He explored the fridge, of course, but there was no food except some fast souring milk. Jounouchi let it fester.

Then he felt it. Something. Something odd.

Jounouchi followed the signature into the dinning room, the pearly leather of his wings rustling.

Then he found Bakura.

Shit.

"Well, look at that," Bakura commented. "A visitor in your house. How did that happen?" And now Jounouchi, the demon Count, could see that the villain was towering over a defenseless demon youngling.

Jounouchi's stomach almost exploded. Danger. He could not last against Bakura, he could not last one second. Kaiba couldn't last against Bakura. They were going to die here. Together…

The young demon flinched and, to Jounouchi's horror, jumped behind Bakura.

"Get the hell away from him!" Jounouchi cried. He didn't even know who this demon kid was or how the hell he had gotten here, but he did know Bakura was even now feeding off of the boy's power. "Kid, he's dangerous!"

"Aren't we all dangerous?" Bakura mused, fingers laced in the youngling's spiked black hair.

"What are you doing in my brother's house? You filthy demon!" the young demon shouted.

"_What_?" Jounouchi expressed. What the hell was going on? Why was this demon kid cuddling up to an angel instead of a demon, his own kind?

The youngling demon was frantic. "This guy is a friend of my brother's and he'll kill you if come nearer!"

"I will," and Bakura put a slimy hand on the youngling's shoulder.

"Get _off_ of him!" Jounouchi ordered. "Look, kid, you don't know who that guy is!" But he was still so confused. Had Bakura done something to him? What had Bakura said? This was the demon kid's house? And he was talking about his _brother_…?

"Get out! When my brother comes back he's going to kill you!" the youngling shouted.

"Mokuba," Jounouchi realized. "You're Mokuba, right?"

The youngling was stunned. "How do you know my name?"

"Obviously, he's going to capture you," Bakura lied lazily.

Jounouchi took a step forward. "Mokuba, _I'm_ a friend of your brother's. Do you remember me? Jounouchi? The food contest. You said you were glad your brother had finally found a friend. Remember?"

The youngling hesitated, clearly confused. "I-I-"

"Mokuba, this guy might seem great because he's a Tainted angel, like your brother, but don't let that fool you! He's evil! He already hurt a friend of mine and he's going to hurt you!"

Bakura ruffled the youngling's shaggy black hair. "He's lying, kid."

"I'm not!" Jounouchi cried. "Look, I'll prove it."

His brain screamed at him. He would be defenseless, even more defenseless. He was going to get himself killed.

But Mokuba… Mokuba was precious to Kaiba.

Jounouchi mentally pulled on his human skin, his white wings and claws retracting.

Mokuba's steel-colored eyes went wide.

"See?" Jounouchi pointed out, limbs trembling in their mortal casings. "I'm Jounouchi. I'm a friend of your brother's. And that guy-"

But Jounouchi didn't get to finish his sentence. A shock of cold blasted him in his vulnerable gut. His human body caved and was thrown into the wall behind him. _Smack_!

Jounouchi screamed. "_Fuck_!" Fuck. That hurt. _Fuck_. "FUCK!"

"Jounouchi!" That, thankfully, was Mokuba. He had gotten away from Bakura. "Jounouchi!" Hands clutched Jounouchi's bruised shoulder.

"That was careless," Bakura told him.

Jounouchi hurt. Fucking hurt. But at least the kid knew Bakura was bad. If things turned for the worst, Mokuba would have a chance to escape…

"Mokuba," Jounouchi hissed. "Run."

"Or you could stay right here," Bakura corrected. "Either way, your choice."

The kid was terrified but he stayed at Jounouchi's side, a hand clutching at Jounouchi's mortal sleeve.

With a stumble of feet, Kaiba came to the rescue. Well, not really. Jounouchi saw the flash of his blue eyes as they took in the scene: Jounouchi, wounded, his brother, and Bakura, relaxed and in perfect control.

"Yo, Principaly-san," Bakura stated, smirking. Fucking smirking like an ass.

Jounouchi thought his bones might have been broken.

Kaiba planted himself in front of Jounouchi and Mokuba, like a statue, like a protector. It was sweet, really. But the arch of his black feathered wings would not be much a shield.

"You know you can do nothing to me," Bakura said.

"Why did you come here?" Kaiba demanded. It was bold. Jounouchi respected him for it.

"Same reason you did, Principaly-san," Bakura answered mildly, picking a spot on his ear. "To look over the information you have been collecting on the power source. It was interesting. Thank you."

"Did you discover if the power source really exists?" Kaiba asked.

But instead of answering, the gray freak's feverish black eyes examined the three weaker Higher Beings before him. "I could slaughter you all, especially that Blessed shit."

Kaiba kept silent. Jounouchi was kinda proud of him. The Count hoped that if Bakura decided to go after him, Kaiba would jump out of the way, take the kid and fly.

But Bakura's smirk widened, pale skin sagged. "He helped kick me out of your home last time, prevented me from seeing his Majesty. That was irritating."

No one moved for a pause, a length in time.

Then a chill dashed through the room. A real chill. Something that made not only Kaiba, but also Bakura, simultaneously look up at the ceiling. Mokuba's whole body shook, clutching at Jounouchi's good arm. And Jounouchi felt it too, through his pain, a dull ache began in his shoulders and traveled down to his tail bone.

Jounouchi shivered, feeling somehow violated. "Fuck…" It was dangerous and hit Jounouchi at his very center.

Bakura had taken his attention off of them completely, studying the air. He sniffed. "Interesting… _very_ interesting." Then as though making a sudden decision, the steel-winged angel took a hold of the shadows at his back, curling them in his fist.

Then Bakura smirked. "See you there. Don't be late."

And he disappeared into the shadows. Exactly like Ryou used to. He really had stolen the Prince's powers.

Kaiba dropped to the floor beside Jounouchi and in a hushed voice accused, "_Idiot_. You confronted Bakura in your _human_ form? I told you to stay in your demon shape!" It was an angry voice.

"Fuck off," Jounouchi grunted. He didn't feel like explaining.

"It's my fault," Mokuba butted in. "I didn't believe him when he told me who he was! Don't blame Jounouchi! I didn't recognize him in his other form!" The kid was sweet.

Kaiba's expression did not visibly change. "Mokuba, get some ice in a towel."

The kid was very obedient.

Great, Kaiba had gotten the kid out of the room, leaving the two of them alone. Jounouchi thought Kaiba was going to scold him for wandering away from the hall, for getting himself injured, for almost getting Mokuba damaged.

Jounouchi did not expect Kaiba to help him into a sitting position.

"Look," Jounouchi began before Kaiba could start. "I'm sorry, ok. I'm sorry I couldn't protect Mokuba better. I just walked in and there he was-"

Jounouchi did not expect Kaiba to wrap his arms around him.

It was a hug. A desperate hug. It hurt his bruised sides but Jounouchi wouldn't have interrupted it for the world.

It was a hug, from Kaiba. An awkward hurtful hug.

Kaiba smelled nice. Kaiba felt warm. Jounouchi let Kaiba dig his face into his neck. Kaiba's panicked breathing felt amazing.

"Thank you," Kaiba's words were so soft, so muffled by the fabric of the blonde's shirt that Jounouchi could have dismissed them.

Jounouchi tingled.

"I didn't do much," he protested. "Just got hurt."

"Shut up," Kaiba demanded and Jounouchi did.

God, this was nice.

Jounouchi wished Kaiba would get freaked out all the time.

…)(-)-(Abomination )-(-)(…

Atemu had stayed diligently by Ryou's side since Jounouchi and Kaiba had left. He had not seen Yugi since the boy was still the living room, diligently powering the house's defenses. Now Atemu had nothing to distract him from watching Ryou's complexion wane. And wane. And wane…

It was like Ryou was disappearing.

The only sign of life was an occasional twitch of the Prince's battered, thinning wings.

It was a hopelessly antagonizing situation; either Ryou awoke to his full demon self, wild and insane, or Ryou remained asleep, potentially never to wake again.

Atemu attempted to keep his nerves at a minimum.

Jounouchi and Kaiba had been gone a long time. Perhaps they had run into trouble. Would Bakura go after them now that they were defenseless? No, Atemu calculated. Going after Jounouchi and Kaiba did not serve his motives. He would stay by the house, waiting perhaps until the two returned when Yugi had to drop the shield.

A pop of air pressure and the shield outside the house dropped.

It was about time.

But the smash that echoed strangely next to Atemu's ear drum was unexpected and unplanned. They couldn't afford surprises right now.

Then a cry. Yugi's cry.

This was bad. Had Bakura broke in? He shouldn't have been able to. He shouldn't have been powerful enough.

Ryou's friendly shield popped and dissipated. Someone had hurt Yugi enough to make him loose control of his power.

A wave of power rolled into Atemu's stomach, upsetting his gut and making him sick. It was overwhelming, and ancient. Very ancient.

Ryou gasped in his sleep, eyes spinning under the lids.

This was bad. Atemu's chair tumbled to the floor as his wings ripping free from their mortal bonds. He flashed to the doorway, running straight towards that source of dark power…

Yugi was crumpled against the wall of the house, magnificent wings limp and dim. White feathers were scattered on the floor. The angel wasn't moving. Atemu jumped out irrationally, fighting to get to the angel he loved, before he noticed the unmistakable dark figure looming over the scene.

It wasn't Bakura.

It wasn't anyone Atemu had ever _seen_. He had only ever associated this Being with the rot in his gut, the poison tumors on Ryou's skin, that big glassy black and gold castle…

Atemu was at his knees before he remembered where the floor was.

That- that Being. That thing of darkness- no- The Darkness. The Ultimate Being. The…

"Master," Atemu choked.

The monster rotated his magnificent body to face Atemu.

White eyes, dark flesh, were the only two features Atemu's powerless senses could comprehend.

"A servant of Mine below the shield of an angel? That's _very_ unusual, wouldn't you say?"

A velvety voice, Atemu felt blood drip from his ears.

"You're staring, Soldier. I have to grant you permission to do that," the Master observed.

It was terrible. This monster was so ugly, so beautiful… How could Ryou stand this?

"Years of practice," the Master monster answered with the ultimate smugness.

'He reads thoughts?' Atemu realized instantly. 'Like Ryou. Ryou can read… could read…'

The Master was inside his head; Atemu could feel His essence wriggling around in his brain matter. Atemu couldn't even register the amount of pain that was coursing through his being. It was as though his limbs were being taken from his control, one by one, removed from his body…

"That's normal for first timers," the Master reassured him. "Soon you will loose control of your consciousness. If you're very lucky you will wake up within the next human year."

Atemu was flat on his back in submission, yet his eyes couldn't turn away from that awful, evil, sin-filled face.

"Sin-filled? Now, that is a bit extreme. I don't even much care about you anymore, not since you've diminished. No, you and your angel love-partner are quite dreary at the moment."

The words were pronounced not only to the air, but also within Atemu's skull. The alien consciousness intruding upon his own was beyond what Atemu could stand. Somehow, logic sprung. 'Think of something else! Distract Him away from your mind!'

Memories exploded and Atemu shoved them into the monster's greedy consciousness: Ryou. Bakura. Ryou and Bakura. Ryou capturing Bakura. Ryou's bloody neck. Bakura Tainted, strong, enemy. Power source! No power source!

"Yes, yes, that is all so interesting," the Master dismissed. "But I'm not here for that. I'm looking for my charge."

Ryou.

Blood Ceremony? Now? Had he come just for that? For pleasure? Atemu felt his old rage rebelling in his gut, then his sense caught up with him.

If Ryou went through the Blood Ceremony then he would get the Master's blood. He would be out of danger.

As much as he detested this situation, Atemu choked. "Save Ryou," he implored out loud.

The Master approached and there was more more pain pain around, on, _in_ Atemu. "He is in the other room." The Master knew this because Atemu knew it.

"Ma-aster…"

Atemu actually managed to tear his gaze away from the Master, twist his neck back to the bedroom.

Ryou was in the doorway. Demon fangs dangled passed his chin. His body as gray as fog. Transparent as mist. Shriveling.

Ryou was going to be saved. Ryou was going to be saved!

"Master… please, Master… he took so much," Ryou groveled. He was crawling out of the doorway, claws racking the floor into strips of bad carpet.

But the Master wasn't looking at him. He wasn't even facing in the weaken Ryou's direction. He was focusing on the shadowy corner of the room.

The Master flashed multiple pairs of fangs. "Charge? Beautiful charge?"

"R-you!" Atemu protested. Save Ryou!

But the monster, Master, Darkness, reached into the shadows and pulled out a lump of wriggling shadow. Bakura, steel wings crashing with disturbing sound. The newly Tainted angel looked astonished to be discovered.

"Precious," the Master slung himself over Bakura's form. "It's been such a long time. How awful for us both! You've lost all the beautiful marks I gave you! That won't do. We shall have to start all over again."

Atemu's brain hurt. 'The Master thinks Bakura is Ryou!'

"His name does not matter," the Master answered Atemu's thoughts again. "My power is within him. Therefore he is mine."

Bakura stared, distastefully, at the monster clinging to him. "You are?"

The Master licked Bakura's cheek. "I have many names."

A snap. A flash of dark blue light and suddenly Kaiba, with a wounded Jounouchi in his arms, teleported into the house.

Atemu saw the look come over Jounouchi's face. Although he also had never laid eyes on this creature of nightmare, he knew in his core, his demonic core, who this monster was.

Jounouchi dropped out of Kaiba's arms to the floor, white filmy wings like dead canvasses. "Master? The Master…"

"_The_ Master?" Bakura was becoming intrigued.

Neither Bakura nor the Master had taken even the slightest interest in the arrivals of Jounouchi and Kaiba, they were too preoccupied with each other.

"I've taken a special interest in you," the Master, ran his fingers down Bakura's chest. "I always have. Ever since the Early Wars."

Bakura's face fell.

"Bad time for you, wasn't it? Simply splendid how you shattered so many souls though. I can still hear the sweet sweet cries. Beautiful times. Chaos. Always something to watch."

Bakura didn't like this. "And?" It was the most ruthless word in the universe.

"You're getting your powers back! It's all _very_ exciting. Once you get that power source that will definitely be something memorable," the Master promised. He sounded excited. Ecstatic.

"There is no power source," Kaiba said, aggressively. How bold he was! In any other circumstance he would be dead, _more_ than dead.

The Master was uninterested in everything that wasn't Bakura. "But there is. And it's of infinite proportions. Rainbow colored. Like your soul. Isn't it wonderful?" His dark fingers were tracing Bakura's ear down to his chin. "A great treasure like that can easily be stolen back."

"Stolen?" Yugi repeated. The boy must have woken up.

The Master ignored the Hashmallim. "Once you get your power back, I'll look for you, beauty. You won't get pulled away again by that nasty Council. I won't let them."

'Why?' that question stung in Atemu suddenly. 'Why is the Master, who seems to know Bakura, hanging on him? He knows what will happen if he gets too close. He knows… and wants it?'

Atemu saw a whole new realm of problems. And it was extremely bad.

And there was nothing he, a Soldier, could possibly do about it. Nor could Jounouchi or Kaiba do anything either. It was futile.

"You weary me," Bakura said to the Master.

"So soon? You don't want to talk a little? Know of my big plans for you?" the Master suggested. His dark copper hands were touching Bakura all over, clutching at the dangerous angel's hips.

Bakura didn't look at the monster before him. "No."

The Master was disappointed. "You won't even look at Me."

"Did Ryou do that for you?" Bakura questioned. The Tainted angel was gazing at the fallen Prince, like a wrinkled skeleton on the floor. Ryou, with his big brown eyes, was staring back at him, limbs thinner than wire.

"Ryou would do whatever I asked," the Master answered, not looking at his old demoted plaything.

"Sounds like him," Bakura grunted, nose wrinkling. His eyes were still fixed on Ryou's desperate pleading face.

The Master shoved Bakura's hair back, exposing the Tainted angel's pale neck. "Shall we begin?"

Shit. It was happening. What Atemu feared.

"No, I don't think so," Bakura growled. And at the last second he grabbed the Master's head viciously and bit into the sinister, dark flesh.

"Bakura! _No_!" That scream had been Yugi.

The four of them watched Bakura suck and feed. Atemu could not move, there was still too much pain. Yugi was paralyzed with his sobs. Jounouchi stunned. Kaiba stubbornly immovable.

Were they really so powerless? Was there nothing they could do but sit and watch this disgusting ritual?

Ryou grasped at the floor, trembling as though with disease. The expression on his pale face as he gazed up at Bakura and his Master could've broke a million hearts.

Bakura's business was quick and the Master groped at him, emitting noses of pain and pleasure as his body rotted in the graying angel's arms. The Master's form wilted faster than expected, dark body morphing fast into crumbles.

It didn't take long.

In a splash of poisonous gases, the Master's body crumpled and burst into a caustic soot; the black stuff getting every where.

Atemu was finally blacking out now, but not before he saw Bakura's radiating body stretch and turn, as though onto the next course, to Ryou.

Jounouchi jumped wobbly to his feet, not nearly recovered enough to fight. "_Back off_!" he demanded.

"Bakura, _please_ don't," Yugi pleaded.

Bakura's eyes did not leave Ryou's broken body. "Oh? Does that mean you _don't_ want me to save Ryou from crumbling into dust like his predecessor?"

Jounouchi hesitated. Yugi swallowed.

"No…" Atemu choked. "Don't let…" Blackness had already invaded the sides of his vision.

"Atemu?" Yugi was by his side, caring face glowing. "You ok?"

But Bakura was already leaning over Ryou.

"If Bakura gives Ryou… you can't let—" Atemu coughed.

"Shhh," Yugi hushed him sweetly.

Ryou was doomed.

Bakura's mouth twisted, biting his own tongue. Then he lowered his head and dropped that bleeding split tongue into Ryou's begging mouth.

And Atemu finally blacked out as Demon Ryou mercilessly sucked the blood from Bakura's grotesque kiss.

…)(-)-(Abomination )-(-)(…

Yugi twisted the washcloth, ringing out the old stale water. He dipped it into the ice water and replaced the cloth back on Atemu's forehead.

He had been asleep for two days.

So had Ryou. Neither had moved since the coming of the Master.

Bakura hadn't shown up either.

Jounouchi had explained that fainting in the presence of the Master wasn't unheard of.

"Because of Atemu's minuscule power levels, it's not surprising he got overwhelmed," Kaiba had added

"Like your knees didn't quake when you saw Him," Jounouchi scolded.

Yugi ran his fingers through Atemu's damp bangs. The Soldier had been sweating through his immortal skin, but besides that he had been perfectly fine. Yugi had emitted his healing powers on Atemu, the pure magic easily adapting to Atemu's skin. But there wasn't much physically wrong with him.

"He's in shock," Kaiba had pronounced. "He'll wake in time."

That didn't stop Yugi from holding Atemu's hand.

Meanwhile Kaiba had been occupied with his laptop, quietly piecing together statistics and observation data to come up with some logical answer of what happened to the power source, if it even existed.

Jounouchi had been occupied solely with Kaiba. The Tainted angel had of course said he needed to combine both the angel's and the demon's data on the power source. Which could explain why Jounouchi seemed glued to Kaiba's side, and why Jounouchi continuously hovered over Kaiba as he worked. And why Kaiba didn't shove him away every time he got close, like he did with everyone else.

But Yugi was too worried about Atemu to comment on their strange relationship.

Yugi folded a blanket over Atemu's still sleeping body. He was in his demon form, unable to consciously transform himself back into his human shape. Yugi had spent many hours looking at him like that. At Atemu's ruby-colored wings, at the angular hellish sharpness of his limbs, softer than other most demons, almost human looking.

'He looks different,' Yugi thought and his fingers reached for Atemu's face again. 'But not… too different…'

The Hashmallim's fingertips brushed the demon's nose. The peak of his lips…

Jounouchi laughed loudly in the next room.

Yugi flinched and his hand jerked away from Atemu's face.

To prevent anymore dangerous examinations of this demon Soldier's body, Yugi pulled himself away from the bed and out of the bedroom.

He entered the common room to find Jounouchi with his chin on Kaiba's shoulder. The two were sitting very close.

Yugi didn't understand it. But he didn't feel like he had to. So he snuck around behind the pair so he wouldn't disturb their position.

"What's that scrawly looking graph?" Jounouchi questioned, poking the laptop's shiny screen.

"You'll have to be more specific since most of these graph could be considered vaguely scrawly," Kaiba commented rigidly, continuously typing as he spoke. "And don't damage the screen."

"I didn't damage it, it's totally fine," Jounouchi protested. "That graph there in the corner with the, ah, blue lines and stuff, and those really tiny numbers."

"Again, you'll have to be more specific when referring to 'really tiny numbers'. Your simple human oils will mess up the light of the crystals panels," Kaiba explained curtly.

Jounouchi touched Kaiba's severely straight back. "Ok, ok, fine, I won't touch your little technological screen, fancy pants. Oh, now you've gone and deleted that graph I was telling you about. What was it?"

"If it was deleted it wasn't important."

"If you had told me what it was I might have thought it was important. We're a team here, Kaiba, remember? Angels and demons working together."

"If the definition of a team is one person working and one person annoying and distracting the other while contributing nothing to project himself."

Yugi sighed, while getting out a glass of juice. At least some people were getting along.

Leaving the squabbling two to their devices, Yugi snuck back into Atemu's room with his juice.

Which he dropped upon entering the bedroom, the glass smashing against the floor. Atemu was stirring. Yugi jumped to the bedside, clutching at the sheets.

"Atemu? You ok?"

The demon shuddered, eyelids flickering. "Yu-Yugi?"

"Yeah, yes! It's me." And without thinking Yugi grabbed Atemu's hand. God, in a rush he was suddenly happier than he'd been in weeks.

Atemu rolled over, facing Yugi. His red eyes wrinkled. "I… it was…"

"Atemu," Yugi said his name again, gripping that hand as he knelt before his bed. "Are you alright? Do you feel ok?"

"Fine," Atemu grunted, blinking, refocusing his sight.

And their two eyes connected.

And Yugi trembled. "Hi."

Atemu opened his mouth to speak, but then Jounouchi barged in.

"You're awake! Hey, Kaiba!' Jounouchi cried. "Atemu's awake!"

"Shh," Yugi hushed. "Don't wake Ryou."

"Ryou?" Atemu sat up, pulling his hand away from Yugi so he could grip his own head. Panic took over his features. "Where is he? What happened? Did…"

"He's fine," Yugi assured him calmly. "He's in his room resting like you."

Atemu's eyes were round. "What… what… Oh." Then his face fell into seriousness.

"You remember?" Yugi asked politely.

"The Master was here," Atemu answered. Then he twisted toward door. "And Bakura."

Yugi swallowed. "Yes."

"But Ryou's looking a lot better now," Jounouchi continued cheerfully. "Yugi says he's all solid and healthier. A lot less gray."

"Yes," Atemu growled darkly. "I would suspect so."

"Completely ungray, actually," Kaiba commented sourly as he appeared in the doorway.

Atemu swung his legs off the bed with purpose; he wanted to stand, and nothing in this world could stop him. So Yugi got to his own feet and offered him a hand. Atemu, thankfully, took it.

"What are you all so grim about, huh?" Jounouchi demanded. "Ryou's better! He's not blood-hungry anymore, thanks to Bakura."

"Yes, and thanks to Bakura," Atemu growled. "Ryou will be scarred for the rest of his life."

Jounouchi looked confused. "Why?"

Kaiba scoffed. "You, of all us, should know."

At that moment, there was a scream.

"Ryou!" Atemu lurched forward, out of Yugi's hold, out into the common room.

Yugi, Jounouchi, and Kaiba, followed closely behind. Yugi's temporary happiness had been sucked down into his acidic stomach like an evil vacuum. Would this terror never end?

Atemu threw open Ryou's bedroom.

There was a shock of white standing in the middle of the room. And that shock of white was Ryou.

It was unnatural, the way that every part of him was clean and fresh and full of white. To his clawed feet, to his exposed white webbed wings that shook in the air. He was on his knees. On the floor. Pure and white and snow and clean, he knelt on the carpet, in front of a mirror where the white horror was reflecting back at him. Ryou hid his face in his paler than pale hands, trying to block out that hurtful color.

Atemu skidded to the floor, next to his best friend.

Jounouchi gaped. "But… Bakura got his blood from the Master. He was giving back the Master's blood to Ryou, right?"

"Doesn't matter," Yugi said, in a small voice, head bowed. "Once the blood was in Bakura's body it held angelic properties. Not even the Master's toxins could combat the infection after it started."

Ryou was sobbing. "No, no, no, no…"

Atemu held his best friend's head in his arms, shielding him from the sight of the mirror, his own demonic head bent down on top of Ryou's fluffy white hair.

And Ryou was sobbing. "No, no, no, no…"

The ex-Prince of Hell was Blessed.

And Atemu didn't have to wipe the tears that came dribbling down Ryou's face. Because the Bleached demon's tears were no longer poisonous.

* * *

…)(-)-(Abomination )-(-)(…

* * *

For the title of this one I almost made it "_Master_bation" hahaha. Unfortunately, that's not a real word. And this chapter isn't supposed to be funny.

SUPER AWESOME CHAPTER!!

Does this answer some of your questions? Are your little brains working now? I know some of you wanted to see the Master again, god knows why. He's a creepy bastard.

NEXT CHAPTER!!: How many bedrooms in that place again? Oh yeah… three, oh convenient.

**REVIEW!!**


	26. Prostration

We are getting towards the end. Just so you all know. As soon as I write that last chapter… eventually.

I'm so on time. No really. (shrug) I should update Empathy… it has been awhile. Although that one is winding down too.

_Yadonushi_ means landlord, master, host, all of the above. Or should I say, all of the side…? Bakura calls Ryou that in the anime and manga.

Oh Amy Lee. Even after all these years, you touch my soul.

**

* * *

**

Chyaputa 26: 

**Prostration **

1. The act of prostrating, throwing down, or laying fiat; as, the prostration of the body.

2. The act of falling down, or of bowing in humility or adoration; primarily, the act of falling on the face, but usually applied to kneeling or bowing in reverence and worship.

3. The condition of being prostrate; great depression; lowness; dejection; as, a postration of spirits.

4. A latent, not an exhausted, state of the vital energies; great oppression of natural strength and vigor.

* * *

All the excitement in the house eventually fizzled and settled. After Atemu calmed the newly-made Bleached demon into his human form, Ryou went once again to asleep. Atemu retired to his room, urged to sleep to regain his full health. Yugi, as he was prone to do nowadays, was freaking out in a corner, every once in a while ducking into the third empty bedroom and shutting the door for several minutes.

"That's the fifth time this afternoon. What the hell is he doing in there?" Jounouchi questioned Kaiba.

Kaiba, as always, has his attention on his precious computer. "Restocking medical supplies."

Jounouchi had no idea what that meant but pretended he did. If he asked, Kaiba would just scoff at him and not answer to spite him, the bastard. So Jounouchi, for his own secret revenge, leaned into Kaiba's side, up against the guy's arm. This would make it harder for the bastard to type.

Yugi exited the room again. He was in his Hashmallim form for whatever reason.

Jounouchi offered the little guy a nod.

Yugi winced as he acknowledged him back. "Found anything yet?" he asked.

"Nada for all I know. _Someone_ isn't sharing their discoveries at the moment," Jounouchi scathed, mischievously nudging Kaiba in the ribs.

"It would be too complicated to explain accurately. When I have definitive conclusions I will announce them," Kaiba stated purposely.

Jounouchi rolled his eyes. "You'll announce what you want us to hear, you psycho."

"I'm…"

Jounouchi glanced up. He had forgotten that Yugi was still there. "Sorry, Yugi."

"That's fine- I'm ok." Yugi was looking very nervous, as though his large brilliant-ass Hashmallim wings were a burden that he wished to hide. "I'm, um, I'm going to go check on Atemu. Can you watch Ryou?"

"Ok," Jounouchi said, it was as though Yugi needed permission to go into Atemu's room. Kinda sad actually, in a tragic sort of way, not pathetic. "Have fun."

Yugi flinch-smiled again and snuck soundlessly into Atemu's bedroom.

Jounouchi sighed, staring after the nervous angel. "Man, Yugi's a wreck."

Kaiba grunted, not listening.

"Must have been a big shock to find out his love-dovely soul mate was a demon," Jounouchi theorized. He turned deliberately to Kaiba. "You know, Atemu knew that Yugi was an angel?"

"Yugi was aware of Atemu's condition as well," Kaiba returned, not looking away from his computer. Jounouchi was actually starting to get a little jealous.

"_Really_? Fuck," Jounouchi exclaimed, glancing back at Atemu's room. "Then why's Yugi all freaked out?"

"Because of his guilt," Kaiba explained. "He is a spineless sentimental creature."

"Give him a break, will you," Jounouchi urged. "He's a good guy."

Kaiba said nothing.

Jounouchi frowned at Atemu's door. "The traitors," he muttered humorously.

"Indeed," Kaiba agreed, indulging him, which Jounouchi appreciated

"It's a kinda a shame," Jounouchi commented, "They were so… sickeningly happy before all this happened. I thought Atemu was going abandon the Kingdom for a mortal."

Kaiba got to his feet, laptop balanced in his arms.

"Where're you going?" Jounouchi questioned, standing up too.

"I need a phone line, the wireless in this house is warping too much with the magic," Kaiba answered logically.

"There's a phone over by the fridge," Jounouchi offered helpfully. What a good little boy he was to Kaiba, _so_ helpful. Next he'd be making the guy sandwiches.

"There's a better line in the third bedroom," Kaiba countered and moved to the room where Yugi had locked himself in several times that day.

"What if Yugi comes back?" Jounouchi asked.

"He won't be back in a while," Kaiba said with Kaiba-like certainty. "He's in with Atemu."

Jounouchi thought he knew what Kaiba was hinting at. "Right…"

So Kaiba walked into the third bedroom, sat on the bed, and plugged his laptop into the wall.

There was a glass pan on the bedside table, silvery liquid swimming inside. Angel tears. Jounouchi understood what "medical supplies" meant now.

So while Kaiba settled into a new pattern of work, Jounouchi hovered at the door, just beyond the threshold.

"That was pretty slick with that whole, 'I got AIDS' thing," Jounouchi teased.

"Was it?" Kaiba commented blandly, as though he wasn't paying close attention to Jounouchi every word.

"Very classy. Couldn't really argue with you over a deadly disease, now could I?"

"Yes, and the way that you played along was absolutely excellent," Kaiba praised. "Barging into my office, pretending to be concerned for your health, panicking because you thought you were going to die, simply brilliant."

Jounouchi frowned. "Yeah, well, I _was_ pretending, for all you know."

"Yes, I suspect your goal all along was to leave a vial of your blood with me?" Kaiba said.

Jounouchi was, naturally, stumped. "I, ah, yeah about that…"

Kaiba smirked glancing up from his computer. "Obviously you wanted me to be able to discover what you really are. A single taste of your blood would reveal everything."

"Hey, I didn't-" then he hesitated. "You… _tasted_ my blood?"

Kaiba's smirk held. "And?"

And? And nothing. Except that the tasting of another demon's blood where Jounouchi came from meant… ah, well, much more like sex in the human in world. Usually though both demons were present. And the blood wasn't in a medical vial. And both participants were, of course, both demons.

Kaiba turned back to his work, as though the bastard _didn't_ know what he had just done, the prick. "Close your mouth, Jounouchi. You're drooling a bit."

Jounouchi didn't know what he was supposed to be feeling right about now… well, actually, he knew exactly what he felt. Warm. And tingly.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching Ryou?" Kaiba asked.

"I'll hear him," Jounouchi promised. "Why? Are you trying to get away from me?" He tried to make this sound joking.

Kaiba did not look at him. "Do what you want."

'What I want?' Jounouchi wondered, prodding Kaiba's… shape with his eyes. Then he fearlessly entered the room, but not before sliding the door to an almost-close, stopping just short of fixing the latch.

Kaiba's fingers went clicking away on his keyboard as Jounouchi sat down beside him… on the bed…

Jounouchi, stomach giddy, gripped his knees. "You think Yugi and Atemu will be alright?"

"Physically they are alright," Kaiba stated, acting as though he wasn't at all interested.

"You know that's not what I meant," Jounouchi said, "Do you think Yugi and Atemu will… get back together? Start being all love-dovely again?"

"Doubtless," Kaiba said.

Jounouchi's scalp suddenly felt very itchy. "Really? You think so?"

"They are both single minded," Kaiba answered. "And optimistic."

Jounouchi frowned. "Come on, Kaiba, you've never, in all your existence, life or otherwise, ever, ever felt _weakness_ toward anyone?"

The pattern of Kaiba's finger falls hesitated. Then began again fiercer than ever.

"Nothing to the point of lunacy."

Jounouchi pounced on the idea before Kaiba could dismiss it. "But you have felt something, once, one time... You can't be totally cold on the inside."

The halt of Kaiba's rapid typing almost made Jounouchi jump. And Kaiba actually pulled himself away from his work to look right at Jounouchi, blue eyes blazing.

"Yes." And then he smirked in a creepy Kaiba-like way. "I might have felt something."

Jounouchi shivered. "Is that how you became Tainted?"

Ouch. The look that Kaiba was giving him now could kill.

"_What_?" Jounouchi demanded. "What did I say?"

Kaiba jumped back to his laptop, ruthlessly disappointed. "_Im_becile."

"What?" Jounouchi cried. "More painful, un-discussable secrets? This is getting real old, Kaiba."

Kaiba refused to look at him. The bastard. The laptop was at the mercy of Kaiba's merciless keystrokes. "You are _truly_ an idiot," he bit.

"Hold on," Jounouchi demanded. And they had just been getting along so well too. "Ok, fine. So I'm not the most intelligent guy-"

Kaiba snorted. "Obviously."

"_Ok_," Jounouchi cried, restraining himself. "Fine. But hell, I'm just… want to know-"

Kaiba turned his full force upon Jounouchi, pissed as a freak. "_You_ should know that most Turnings happen by accident or sabotage, demon-angelic _romantic_ relationships are the exception," Kaiba retaliated. "Why do you ask? Is that how _you_ were Turned? Playing to your own stereotype? How many other angels have you fucked?"

"Woah! Cool it!" Jounouchi protested frantically. Although in the back of his mind he noted how Kaiba had said, "how many other angels have you fucked?" and that, not really surprisingly, cheered him up a little on the inside.

"That's not what happened to me at all." Jounouchi explained setting the calm, a very unusual position for him. "I didn't even know this angel And I certainly didn't _want_ it from one of your easy angel buds."

Kaiba didn't seem impressed.

Jounouchi continued cautiously. "I was on the battle field, alright? This big angel had torn everything up, all the other souls in my group had already drifted away." Jounouchi set his jaw. There was an old ache, gnawing at him. A side effect of bad memories. "I was nearly gone too. Higher Being body damaged beyond repair."

Kaiba was polite enough not to scoff this time. "And?"

Jounouchi sighed, scratching his nose. "I was saved. By an angel."

"Ah," Kaiba understood. "Healed you?"

"I don't know," Jounouchi admitted. "It wasn't really healing, since it wasn't pure magic, you know, but… more like… giving me her life. Taking her own power and existence and just giving it to me."

Kaiba leaned back, away from the laptop. "A woman?"

"And angel-woman, well, an angel-girl really. She looked young. She told me her name and that was it. No explanation. Just saved my life and cursed me forever."

It was some of the most thought filled moments of Jounouchi's existence. And there he was sitting with sometimes-not-totally-a-bastard-Kaiba.

"What was her name?" the Tainted angel asked, when he had reclaimed his cool.

"Shizuka," Jounouchi answered simply. It's not like he was going to forget it.

Kaiba was studying the opposite wall. "Did you hate her?"

"_Yeah_!" Jounouchi answered automatically. "Of course. She _Bleached_ me, after all, disfigured me."

"Would you rather be dead?" Kaiba questioned harshly.

Jounouchi breathed. "Used to. Not anymore though." And he turned almost subconsciously to Kaiba. The angel wouldn't face him yet, but Jounouchi could wait. "Besides death's boring, right? Nothing after that for us, is there?"

Kaiba was stillness.

"Now you," Jounouchi demanded, physically twisting his whole body to Kaiba now. "I told you my story. You have to give back in return. It's only fair."

"I did not urge you to tell your story. There was no deal," Kaiba said briskly. Back to his laptop again, work, work, work.

"Have you ever heard of courtesy?" Jounouchi questioned grimly.

"Have you ever heard of private?" Kaiba snapped.

"Why won't you tell me? You know you have nothing to lose. My opinion of you won't change." And that was the truth, the whole truth, and Kaiba damn well knew that.

But Kaiba shook his head, as though shaking off a bad thought. "I know that, Jounouchi."

The Bleached demon sat up. Kaiba had said his name all sincerely, all sentimentally. Very un-Kaiba-like. Jounouchi felt a little hope for the cold-hearted bastard blossom within him.

"I cannot tell you out of respect for someone else," Kaiba explained.

"Who?" Jounouchi asked. "Oh shit, what am I saying you're not going to tell me."

Kaiba raised his eyebrows in agreement.

But Jounouchi thought about it, chewing the inside of his cheek, determined. Who did Kaiba have to protect?

Well, _duh_.

"Was it Mokuba who Turned you?" Jounouchi asked.

Kaiba's head swerved and glared at Jounouchi with all his might, like a poison fucking arrow aims at its target. "Is _nothing_ of mine sacred to you?"

"Then it was Mokuba," Jounouchi concluded triumphantly.

Kaiba was mad. "I have told you many times before. I will not speak about him to you."

But Jounouchi knew his way in these dangerous waters, he had been here before. "Why? What was it? A day at the park and Mokuba scratches his knee and you kiss it? What? What can be _so_ humiliating?"

Kaiba slammed his computer closed, so hard Jounouchi swore the screen had broken. "You might know about Mokuba, but don't think that makes you privileged to every aspect of our relationship. You don't know everything about me, idiot."

"How did you even come to take care of a demon in the first place?" Jounouchi pondered. Arguing with Kaiba was pointless, it was easier just to make him mad. "He's obviously not your real brother. Unless, you know, he was when you were mortal…"

"Mokuba isn't-" Kaiba stopped himself, handsome mouth tight.

"What? He isn't your brother?" Jounouchi encouraged. One step at a time.

Kaiba was pissed. "No, Mokuba is not my blood brother."

"Good," Jounouchi congratulated, relaxing back onto his elbows.

Kaiba put a hand over his eyes, rubbing his forehead. "No one can know about him. You shouldn't know. Mokuba is a secret."

"Because he's related to you?" Jounouchi asked, trying honestly to understand.

"No," Kaiba composed himself. "Because if the Council finds him, he will be deported to Hell."

"Away from you? Is that what you are worried about?" Jounouchi guessed uncertainly.

"He doesn't belong there," Kaiba said.

Jounouchi squinted up at Kaiba. "But he's a demon, wouldn't he get better care there? Fit in with his own kind. He wouldn't be in hiding anymore."

Kaiba's expression hardened. "Mokuba's not a demon."

Jounouchi… as hard as he tried for the guy, couldn't believe him. No, that couldn't be true. "Kaiba, he's got the wings, the horns, the clawed feet. He's _not_ an angel and there's nothing else."

Kaiba's head tilted upwards, gazing. Were his features softer? "But he _is_ an angel. When he arrived in the realm of the Higher Beings he was an angel."

Jounouchi was confused. "Ok, fine. You lost me."

Kaiba looked strained, stressed. He stood up and took a couple of steps, three. This was hard for the bastard, but Kaiba was shining through. And Jounouchi was proud of him. "Mokuba was an angel. We arrived at the same time as newly born angels. I barely knew him. Then…" Kaiba's back was turned to Jounouchi purposely. "We were captured."

"By?" Jounouchi asked apprehensive

Kaiba was not pacing anymore. He was strong, so strong he held no emotion. "Gozaboro."

"Gozaboro…" Jounouchi repeated. That name sounded familiar. Real familiar. "A demon?"

"I don't know how he did it, captured two youngling angels. I just know I was there, with Mokuba," Kaiba told him gravely.

Jounouchi was leaning very far forward on the bed. "I've heard that name. Gozaboro. He's mad. Sickening. Used to be very high up in the command, loads and loads of power. He…" Jounouchi swallowed.

"Experimented?" Kaiba finished. "Tortured for curiosity. Do you know what his greatest ambition was?"

Jounouchi felt fear for the little-youngling-Kaiba. "What?"

"He wanted to turn an angel completely into a demon."

Jounouchi did feel sick. This was Kaiba's young years, his childhood at the hands of a mad demon scientist. "Kaiba…"

"Tainted is the first step of course. You can imagine we were both Turned rather quickly," Kaiba recalled. "Mokuba had less power though, a weaker angelic signal to interfere with Gozaboro's experiments. Mokuba was always the first to try every new test." Kaiba rested his voice. His face was turned away. Did he not want to look at Jounouchi? Was he too ashamed? There was nothing to be ashamed about. Kaiba wasn't at fault.

"You escaped," Jounouchi said with conviction.

"Eventually." Kaiba's ribs expanded as he breathed. "I still can't remember how we got back to Heaven. Mokuba is only a demon from the outside, Gozaboro could not extract the angelic base of his blood."

Jounouchi stood up.

"Mokuba has never known a demon, or other angels besides his caretakers."

"Which is why he was so willing to accept Bakura as your friend, rather than me," Jounouchi understood.

Kaiba's words were slower. "He has no place."

Jounouchi snorted. "And we do? Fallen, Blessed. They are the second class of Higher Being society."

Kaiba scoffed. It was true.

The bedroom was silent. Jounouchi gazed at a Kaiba rarely seen, vulnerable.

"Mokuba is a fantastic kid," Jounouchi said helpfully. "A real trooper."

Kaiba nodded.

Risking it all, Jounouchi touched the back of his neck nervously. "And you too."

He wasn't looking at Kaiba, avoiding the embarrassment of his words.

"You- I mean, well, not all would just devote their existence to the care of one being," Jounouchi explained easily. "You're pretty cool like that."

Jounouchi heard Kaiba move. "Cool, am I?" the Tainted angel asked.

"Yeah," Jounouchi agreed, glad that Kaiba took Jounouchi's compliment favorably.

A low chuckle sounded from Kaiba's deep throat.

Jounouchi was confused. "What about me?" If Kaiba wasn't going to freaking ruin this moment…

Kaiba stared Jounouchi like the demon had never been stared before. Hotly. "You're quite cool yourself."

Jounouchi gaped. Then closed his mouth with a gulped. Was the room really this warm? Shit.

"Did you really need that phone line?" Jounouchi laughed nervously.

Sly as a fucking fox, Kaiba raised his brow delicately. "No."

Jounouchi shut up. Fuck.

"Did you really need to close that door?" Kaiba questioned, not taking his attention away from the anxious blonde.

Jounouchi took a breath. "Mostly closed," he corrected absentmindedly.

Kaiba smirked. "Right."

They actually weren't too far away at this point, so it wasn't hard for Kaiba to grab the Jounouchi's shirt and yank him closer. Their foreheads almost collided. Their mouths were hot. And Jounouchi was hot, with his knees all bent, looking up at his captor.

Kaiba's blue eyes preyed upon him. Hungrily.

"Skipping right over that foreplay, aren't you?" Jounouchi joked.

"Shut up," Kaiba ordered.

Their mouths sunk into each other. Jounouchi hadn't expected this but he grabbed Kaiba around the chest as his mouth fumbled for more contact.

Kaiba pulled away just long enough to give him a look. "Aren't you supposed to be watching Ryou?"

"Shut up," Jounouchi growled.

Kaiba chuckled again and the two of them pressed on.

It was the first time since that awful night at the human party that Jounouchi had felt Kaiba this closely, this tight against him. And he wasn't even drunk, which was good, because the actions were cleaner, less hazy. Less dulled. Jounouchi liked that.

Jounouchi liked how he could tighten his hold on Kaiba and not have to let go. He liked how unbalanced and frantic their making out seemed, like they were battling forces, destined for the floor. Or the bed…

Kaiba preferred the later.

Jounouchi was thrown backwards, landing on squeaky springs and flowery patterned bed sheets. Kaiba wasn't long to follow, mouth open and breathing fire. His body was solid, firm underneath the flimsy clothes.

Kaiba bit his neck. Jounouchi groaned nicely.

Jounouchi's pants unbuckled.

"Woah," Jounouchi cried, shocked they had gotten there so fast. "What the hell are you doing?"

Kaiba was vicious. "I'm getting you excited," he snarled, possessively.

That he was, and it worked. All really really nicely. Jounouchi squirmed with pleasure. Kaiba was a fucking god at this!

The heat and the power and the pleasure came too fast. Faster than Jounouchi expected. He was totally unprepared for Kaiba's wickedness as the guy hit all the right spots…

"Kaiba- _fuck_- slow- down-" Jounouchi panted, swatting Kaiba pathetically on the head.

But Kaiba just glared at him and continued, enthusiastically.

Shit. Jounouchi's body was enjoying this too much.

"I- tell- you-" Jounouchi demanded, rising his head a little to watch Kaiba's progress. "If- you're- not careful- I'm gon-na- pop."

"Shut it and relax," Kaiba snapped.

"Al-right, you're- the boss-" Jounouchi conceded. He was too distracted, and feeling too good to argue. So he groaned and twisted like a good boy. Good boys get all the fun.

Jounouchi felt it coming, like a raw surge. And then _pop_.

His Bleached wings burst from his back, causing him to fly off the bed. His claws hooked as his skin went white.

"Shit! I told you! No one can keep their human with that kind of stress!" Jounouchi cried angrily. "You and your fucking hormones!"

Kaiba wasn't disappointed. Actually he was looking all smug as though he had planned it all along. "Jounouchi…"

"_What_?" Jounouchi questioned, a little angry.

Kaiba was still perched on that bed, hurting Jounouchi with his blue as beautiful eyes. "Aren't you going to finish me off?"

Oh… so getting out the human skin had been the goal all along.

Kaiba, still in his sweaty, hot human form, grabbed Jounouchi by the shoulders and dragged him onto the bed.

It was all very confusing in his demon shape, since, Jounouchi had no sex drive anymore. But he found a very good sadistic alternative.

Making Kaiba writhe in pain.

Jounouchi squeezed him with his claws and scraped his fangs over soft parts of Kaiba flesh.

Didn't take long at all for Kaiba to pop as well. Black feathers lining the bedroom, a far more appropriate replacement for rose petals.

"I got you off so much faster," Jounouchi teased.

"You had a handicap," Kaiba said flatly.

"Fuck that," Jounouchi cursed.

Kaiba cupped the back of Jounouchi's neck. "Now the fun begins." And he pulled the blonde forward.

"What? Not done yet?" Jounouchi asked, as though this were a challenge.

Kaiba smirked. "Not even close."

And Kaiba's hand guided him to his Tainted angelic neck.

"One of the advantages of us being so… Touched," Kaiba instructed.

Jounouchi didn't have to ask what he meant. He just enjoyed the shudders of demonic instinct as he punctured Kaiba's pristine Higher Being flesh, and sucked the scarlet juice from the bastard's neck.

The angel blood, although Tainted, still burned the roof of Jounouchi's mouth and throat. The blood had a disgusting flavor at first, Jounouchi nearly gagged. But after a few moments, he got used to the caustic acidic burn of his insides and appreciated the spicy flavor.

Angel blood was certainly an acquired taste. One Jounouchi was acquiring and acquiring and acquiring…

Kaiba grabbed a fist full of Jounouchi's blonde hair. "That's enough."

Jounouchi, reluctantly, drew away, fangs sheathing free of the ripped skin. "What? Too much for you, Kaiba?" He licked his lips.

"You're insides will disintegrate with too much of that," Kaiba explained, actually serious.

Jounouchi frowned but obeyed. He hadn't gone on nearly as long as he wanted to. Fuck disintegration! He wanted Kaiba's life blood _in_ him. Already he could feel, _feel_ Kaiba's essence invading his self. God! That was good.

In the midst of his thoughts, Jounouchi was thrown backwards. Kaiba climbed on top.

"My turn," Kaiba demanded. And he bit Jounouchi's skin hard. But angels' teeth weren't naturally sharp like demons'.

It hurt, _hurt_ as Kaiba attempt to break his skin failed.

"Hold on, before you gnaw me to death!" Jounouchi growled.

Kaiba loved his demon in pain. The psycho. "Had enough?"

"Just…" Jounouchi cut deeply into his own neck with a claw, "There! _Now_ dig in."

Kaiba did. And he insisted on using his teeth too, although they were dull he worked them into the folds of Jounouchi's flesh. Soon enough Jounouchi felt that drain, magical high as his blood rushed out of him.

'I'm going to have to stop him,' Jounouchi told himself, as Kaiba's body shivered with delight with the swallow after swallow of demon blood. 'The bastard's not going to remember he can't take it all.'

But for now. Jounouchi enjoyed the high of his draining blood.

…)(-)(Prostration)-(-)(…

The door to Atemu's room inched open, the hinges blissfully silent. Yugi slipped in, creamy toes barely grazing the carpet. His wings were pressed flat against his back, squeezing through the doorway.

Atemu looked asleep, his face calm.

Yugi gazed down at his once-human-boyfriend, clutching the doorknob behind his back in case he needed a quick escape. Why was he here spying on Atemu as he slept? It wasn't polite. He should leave.

Then Atemu's eyes snapped open. "Yugi." Apparently he hadn't been asleep.

Yugi flinched. Immediately he scrambled to put on his human appearance, shoving his wings back into concealment.

Atemu sat up. "You don't have to hide yourself from me."

"I- I'm sorry," Yugi apologized, head bowed. "I shouldn't have come. You were resting."

"Yugi…" it was a plea. Yugi trembled. "Please… look at me?"

Yugi raised his head.

Atemu looked kind, concerned as he pulled himself up from the bed. "You don't have to remain in your human form anymore. Ryou's…" he swallowed and his attention shifted off of Yugi, "…The danger has passed."

Yugi bit his lip. Ryou. "I don't want to overwhelm… anybody."

Atemu shook himself. "You mean me?"

Embarrassed, Yugi flushed.

"I'll be fine," Atemu assured him, shaking his own ruby wings out. "I've seen you before, haven't I?"

"But your not totally well yet," Yugi protested. "I don't want to damage…"

"Yugi." Atemu offered the timid angel a little smile. "I want to see _you_, all of you."

Yugi inhaled, shakily. But obediently he let go of the door, relaxed, and slowly let his angelic features surface.

Atemu was fixed on him. "You're quite handsome, you know that?"

Yugi blushed. "You too."

There was a moment when the two of them observed each other from across the room, when Yugi's wings lit the entire bedroom with white light, as though every homely object had its own glow.

But Yugi was too anxious for this nice silence to last. "Atemu?"

Atemu returned his fixation to Yugi's face. "Hm?"

"Where are… we now?" Yugi asked.

Atemu knew exactly what he meant. And his face lost some of its confidence. "It's not clear."

Yugi's heart shuddered.

Embarrassment stretched between them, across the room.

When Yugi couldn't stand it any longer, he blurted out, "I knew."

Atemu's eyes widened.

Yugi stumbled to continue. "You- you know when we first met? After gym class?"

Atemu nodded, mutely.

"When my- when I- it was stupid, my powers sorta jumped out, do you remember?" Yugi asked finally.

Atemu nodded again, smoothly. "Yes. I remember."

"You flinched," Yugi recalled. "I knew then that you were a demon."

A hurt, or concern, flashed over Atemu's expression.

Yugi gulped. "Just so you know. That when we were dating and stuff…"

"I knew too," Atemu interrupted hastily.

Yugi's shoulders tensed, relaxed. "_Really_?"

"At the same moment, when your powers stung me, I knew you were an angel," Atemu explained.

"And on the bus…" Yugi added.

"I was suspicious, because you didn't seem that dangerous. You seemed," Atemu almost smiled, "Pure."

Yugi held his breath. "Hardly."

"You knew I was a demon and you invited me to your house?" Atemu inquired incredibly.

"Um… well, I didn't want to believe it," Yugi admitted with a sheepish smile. "Bakura yelled at me later."

Then, like stone, the conversation dropped.

Bakura.

The sudden spiteful look in Atemu's face made Yugi panic. Guilt hit him, punched him, trampled Yugi. Swallowed him. His white wings went limp with sorrow, flopping to the floor in shame. And it hurt. It physically hurt Yugi to stand there in that room with so much guilt.

"I'm sorry," Yugi said. "I'm sorry."

Atemu shook off his hate-filled expression. "It's not your fault."

"I never- I didn't even make the connection between you and Ryou. I didn't know until we were involved, and then I didn't want to believe it! If I had known that Ryou was a demon, Heaven, if I had known he was in so much danger…"

Cool hands touched Yugi's face; Atemu had reached out to him. Yugi couldn't flinch now, he was too comfortable. Those dark tanned hands against his unblemished skin, demonic touching angelic…

"I knew about Bakura long before you knew about Ryou," Atemu comforted the Hashmallim. "I met him in your house. I considered the possibility of Bakura being an angel at that moment and I didn't act." Atemu stared into Yugi, as though their conversation was very important. "I thought that if it did turn out that Bakura was an angel then maybe Ryou and Bakura might turn out like us. I never, never imaged Ryou would go out and capture Bakura himself. _Never_."

Yugi's lips trembled, like he was cold. And even with his immense wings and his brilliant power, he knew that Atemu was the stronger one in this relationship. Atemu was _so_ strong, so confident, and much smarter than Yugi could even hope to be.

Atemu exhaled, hands falling from Yugi's face in despair. "I should have warned Ryou more efficiently of my suspicions, but I wasn't quite sure of them myself."

Yugi picked up Atemu's dropped hands. "No. Atemu, you couldn't have predicted this outcome, you didn't know of Bakura's unique powers."

Atemu squeezed Yugi's hands, ancient to the youth. Comfort was driving back the guilt.

"I was blinded by you," Atemu admitted, voice velvet.

Yugi's holy wings fluttered, rising from the floor. "And I by you."

The white glow was coming back into Yugi's form, his skin lighting up the room once again. Yugi's wings brought light to Atemu's tanned face.

"You are very… good-looking," Atemu praised with a grin.

Yugi tried to smile back. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Atemu released a chuckle, "Let's not exaggerate."

"I mean it," Yugi said firmly. "You're exotic."

Atemu shrugged. "Very well. I will accept that."

And as Yugi continued to glow and allow his unsuppressed angelic self to shine passed his restraints, his white feet drifted from the carpet. Atemu hung onto Yugi's hands as the Hashmallim rose.

"Come," Yugi urged and pulled Atemu up into the air, hold the demon Soldier at his side. And Yugi's wings expanded stretching, brilliant and beautiful.

"I'm sorry," Yugi apologized again. "Am I over doing it?"

"No," Atemu said, encircling his arms around Yugi's neck. "I said I wanted to see all of you."

The wings broadened, overwhelmed the room and the walls, white light splitting into rainbows and bouncing off the human objects. And Yugi was floating in the center of the air and surrounded by it all was Atemu at his core, a dark demon awed by an alien majesty of bliss.

And in the center of it all, Atemu leaned up and kissed Yugi's flawless lips, flesh of two different worlds colliding. And the touch was worth the hurt because it was the sweetest thing Atemu and Yugi had ever tasted.

…)(-)(Prostration)-(-)(…

Ryou didn't like the dark anymore. It was unkind to him. The shadows that were once his minions poked him viciously in the eyes. Even the stalk of intense white light that echoed out from under the door of Yugi and Atemu's merriment did not comfort Ryou. The light only cast more distinct shadows.

Ryou was helpless. Weak.

"And what are they doing while you lie here afraid and defenseless in your bed?"

Sounds were still emanating from the bedroom next door where Jounouchi and Kaiba had disappeared into some time ago. The occasional cry of pain, muffled only by the single wall, reached Ryou's ears. That was the only sounds he heard. And the only thing he saw was Yugi's white light blaring across the floorboards.

"They have forgotten you."

Ryou twisted in his bed sheets. "They are allowed to enjoy their mates."

"And you? Who has suffered all your life? You have nothing to enjoy but my company."

"I didn't know you stole my memories as well as my powers," Ryou answered.

"I took much more than you can imagine."

Ryou tried not to listen. "The shields are up. You cannot be here."

Fingers touched Ryou's white bangs, the pale skin on his forehead. "But I am here."

"You are an illusion," Ryou recited, still as a stone.

"By who's making?" the illusion asked.

"By Bakura. He is trying to torture me," Ryou answered lifelessly.

The illusion scoffed, leaping from the shadow of the windowsill to the shadow cast by Ryou's bed. "I am not an illusion."

"Yes, you are," Ryou argued.

"Can an illusion do this?"

A tongue trailed up from Ryou's neck up to his ear. Ryou gasped immediately, clutched the mattress below him as fanged teeth toyed with his earlobe, rolling Ryou's flesh with his tongue.

Fear struck Ryou's weak heart. "Stop it!" he cried, tearing away from that mouth, escaping to the other side of that mattress. Hands flew up over his ears to block out the noise or the illusion's other penetrating organs.

A snort, a sniff of disapproval. "What do you say now?"

"You are not here. You cannot be here," Ryou repeated

"How cruel. You can't even accept your own sire." The mattress squeaked groaned under the weight of another body behind Ryou's back. "And I came to see my dear master."

Ryou did not move, he was too terrified. "Master?"

Another hand snaked up Ryou's back, up to his neck. "You sired me. You are my master."

Ryou trembled. "I don't wait to be called 'master'."

That hand snuck around Ryou's waist and squeezed. "That is, I admit, understandable."

Ryou did not want to be touched by this illusion.

"Yadonushi, is that better?" The arm around Ryou's waist tugged the pale guy across the mattress, pressing his body into the illusion's behind him.

"What are you going to do to me?" Ryou asked.

A laugh that echoed out of the illusion's body into Ryou's back, his lungs. "There are many things I want to do to you. As an example…"

A hand slid down Ryou's stomach, down his abdomen to the line of his pants…

Ryou squirmed, relishing in the primitive human yearnings…

"Like that?" the illusion teased. "I learned it from you. What sorts of things did your Master make you do to complete missions, Yadonushi?"

"_Stop_," Ryou begged. "Haven't you done enough to me?"

"More than what you did to me?"

And this was said in a surprisingly angry voice. Bakura had lost his cool.

Ryou was smacked down, back against the bed. A pale sickly human Ryou had never seen before crawled on top of him, groins pressing into each other.

"You bit me," Ryou said. "You took my power, voluntarily."

This Bakura was _not_ the Being Ryou had known as a human. His skin was pale, his white hair long, his eyes were a muddy color. And he was skinny, starved looking.

He looked a lot like Ryou's human form actually…

Ryou was shocked. "Bakura… you're ill."

Bakura grinned, manically. And laughed. "Not a nice sight but I have all the power now, of yours, even of some of your Master's. And you think I can't break through petty shields undetected? Maybe you don't understand just how powerful I am."

It was futile. Ryou waited for his judgment. "And now what? What more could you possibly want?"

Bakura leaned down, pushing his body into Ryou's. It stung. "The power source."

"There is no power source," Ryou said, wary as Bakura face hovered above his.

The psycho Tainted angel grinned, almost euphorically. "Oh, it exists. And I know where it is."

The power source was real? But if that was true… and Bakura got his hands on it…

"Where is it?" Ryou asked.

Bakura licked Ryou's check. "Same place we thought it was before. But we all missed it. Such a clever place to hide…"

"Bakura, where?" Ryou pleaded, begged. "Please, tell me."

The crazed contaminated angel only laughed, his putrid breath blasting in Ryou's face. "It wouldn't be any fun if I told you."

"But-"

"That's quite enough of talking," Bakura interrupted. "I really do want to do stuff to you now."

Ryou could not fight it. He could not stop Bakura from connecting their mouths and slobbering tongues and vicious teeth, that could now bite into blistered flesh without consequences.

Bakura pounded Ryou's human flesh until it was soft and weakened. And it was humanly wonderful. But the blood around both their mouths was juicier.

Ryou couldn't resist, as Bakura's nail scratched up his exposed stomach and his neck, because he liked this. If this was all Bakura would come for nowadays…At least Ryou would still be able to see him…

* * *

…)(-)(Prostration)-(-)(…

* * *

Yeah… so… I hope you all enjoyed that.

I'm sure you all get it by now but Higher Beings, or at least demons have "sex" by sharing blood, as demonstrated by Jounouchi and Kaiba. I guess because Angelic blood is so acidic I suppose they wouldn't really share blood all that often. Just the the culture.

NEXT CHAPTER! Plot begins again as the party returns to the school, the supposed site of the "power source". Jounouchi and Kaiba have a special mission while Bakura visits a not-so-old friend.

**REVIEW!!**


	27. Revelation

Fuck you ff . net, I not going to change my fuck password. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

WARNING! PLOT!

That is all.

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* * *

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Chyaputa 27: Revelation

1. The act of revealing, disclosing, or discovering to others what was before unknown to them

2. That which is revealed.

3. Exposing divine truth. That which is revealed by God to man.

4. Specifically, the last book of the sacred canon, containing the prophecies of St. John; the Apocalypse

* * *

Next day dawned with all bedrooms occupied. Although the most infamous of the house's inhabitant's left before the others rose. Eventually, Atemu and Yugi exited their room to check in on Ryou who, besides being twisted violently in his sheets and the bruises on his human skin, appeared safe and sound asleep.

Jounouchi and Kaiba got up later, Jounouchi's morning-breath curses fought Kaiba's usual morning temper. They had a crisp, very loud, illogical argument, consisting of many "fuck you"s and "where the hell are my fucking pants!"s, before the two of them exited the bedroom for breakfast.

There was a solid, unspoken agreement not to comment on everyone's sleeping arrangements of the previous night, although whenever Yugi made eye contact with anyone else he blushed fiercely and Jounouchi giggled.

Ryou did not come out for breakfast.

When the clock tolled 1 o'clock, Kaiba brought his laptop to the table. "Whether the existences of this 'power source' will or will not be confirmed, there is definitely a large amount of activity going on around the school not from registered angels or demons in the area."

"Does it have any pattern?" Atemu questioned.

"It fluctuates day by day," Kaiba recalled. "It's impossible to pinpoint a single location because this 'source' moves. It focuses on the school but it can sometimes go off as far as the downtown area."

Yugi jumped into a chair; he had abandoned his mopey persona during his sleep. "Could there be a shield set up that bounces the source's single so no one is able to track it?"

"There is no way to tell," Kaiba answered curtly. "There could be multiple sources, or one source split into several different locations."

"So… basically we've got a whole lot of nothing," Jounouchi clarified.

The truth was grim, but they all knew it was true.

"I mean, seriously, what's the point of even finding this energy-power source thing?" Jounouchi asked. "We can't overpower Bakura anymore, the guy's unstoppable."

"He did absorb all the Master's powers," Yugi added realistically.

Atemu's expression was grave but not beyond hope, determination still rippled in his red eyes. "The Being that appeared in our house was not the real Master."

"Well, duh!" Jounouchi growled.

Yugi sat up, confused, yet hopeful. "I don't understand."

"You think that the Master, the ultimate source of all things _evil_ would be capable of materializing himself, in the human world no less?" Kaiba accused harshly.

"Look," Jounouchi put his hand on the wood of the dinning table. "The true… _thing_ that is the Master is too- well- too _big_ to be conceived by any individual's brain, Higher Being or otherwise."

"He makes smaller images of himself and distributes them where he pleases," Atemu explained, disgust in his voice. "Bakura only absorbed one of these smaller versions."

"Clones," Kaiba clarified, not looking away from his laptop.

"So… Bakura's not unstoppable," Yugi concluded.

"Did you not here us?" Jounouchi questioned, "Bakura _ate_ apart of the _Master_! _Yeah_, he has a limit but it's nothing we could possibly reach!"

"Bakura's too strong for us to handle alone," Atemu agreed soberly, still deep in thought.

"But the power source is supposed to be really… big too, right?" Yugi asked, getting excited.

Jounouchi looked uneasy. "Yeah…"

"If the power exists and is made of pure energy, like both Heaven and Hell have told us, then we could use it to help Bakura," Yugi pronounced.

Atemu nodded. "That is our only opinion now."

Jounouchi settled back into his chair, the blonde looking very overwhelmed. "Shit…"

"But first we have to find the thing," Atemu said, pacing the long end of the table. "What about the movement of other Higher Beings, Kaiba? If there is a source, it can't stay hidden on its own. Someone, angel or demon, must be guarding it."

Kaiba tapped away at his keys. "If there is someone out there, they're laying low."

"That Master guy," Yugi voiced awkwardly, "He said something about the power source being stolen? Have you checked out anyone, angels or otherwise, that have been hunted down by the Kingdom of Hell specifically?"

Kaiba scoffed. "While it is possible that what this Master said is correct, you may remember that the Council also claimed it was theirs. We can't believe anything that guy said."

"And did you check on high profile Hell targets?" Atemu repeated, ignoring Kaiba's last point.

Kaiba scowled but turned dutifully back to his computer. "Yes, I ran a search. I have three possible names of those who ran to the human world for safety."

"Look deeper at those names, try to find where in the human world they might have gone" Atemu instructed.

Kaiba bristled, furious at being ordered around, but he channeled his energies into his work.

Atemu began pacing again. "We have to assume Bakura knows more about this source than we do."

"Why?" Jounouchi asked, confused. "He only stole Kaiba's information, he should only know as much as we do."

Atemu was not reassured. "When Bakura took Ryou's powers, he took all of them, including Ryou's ability to read people's minds."

"Since when did Ryou have _that_?" Jounouchi exclaimed. "No one told me!"

"I just recently found out myself. It's how he knew I was dating Yugi," Atemu explained. "But if Bakura has that power he might have picked something up from the Master's mind when they were in the same room."

"You think the Master secretly communicated to Bakura the truth about all this?" Yugi asked.

Jounouchi leapt up out of his seat, incredulous. "Well, what are we supposed to do now? We don't even know what to look for or if there is anything even to look for!"

"There is a power source," a tiny voice announced.

The entire party turned to the first bedroom where Ryou stood in the doorway. His human form was as skinny as death and paler than ever. They watched as Ryou made his way shakily to the table, his knees wobbling.

"Bakura," Ryou coughed as he allowed Atemu to lower him into a chair, "Came to me last night."

"Oh!" Yugi squeaked while Jounouchi cursed, slamming his fist on the table. "Heavens, Ryou are you alright?" the Hashmallim asked, horrified yet sympathetic.

Ryou looked very tired and a little bruised, everyone noticed. "He didn't stay long, but he did say there was definitely a power source just as it was described to us. A vast reserve of pure energy hidden somewhere in the school."

Kaiba looked up, expression severe. "He said the school? Specifically?"

Ryou shrugged. "Bakura said it was in the 'same place we thought it was before.' Which could only mean the school, right?"

Atemu had buried himself deep in his own thoughts, calculated outcomes. "If Bakura told you this, he must be going after the source, right?"

Ryou nodded his grave white head.

Yugi stood up. "We have to go to school now. As soon as possible."

"Right," Atemu nodded. "We'll all go in late, which will look suspicious… but that doesn't matter right now."

"More suspicious than disappearing for a week and then all of us coming back on the same day?" Jounouchi pointed out obviously.

"Use any excuse that works." Atemu had dashed into the third bedroom and came out with his uniform jacket and backpack. "We have to be quick."

"Remember those three possible guard-suspects?" Kaiba interrupted, closing his laptop briskly.

"Yes?" Yugi encouraged.

"One of them just moved to Japan, specifically to Domino," Kaiba explained, standing up from the table as well. "And old warrior angel who's last mission was deep inside the Kingdom of Hell's territory."

"You work too fast," Jounouchi said, giving Kaiba an appreciated nudge in the ribs.

"Ok," Atemu said, taking a moment to recalculate.

Kaiba was quicker. "Jounouchi and I will track down this angel, I have an address."

Atemu nodded. "Good. Yes, that will work. Yugi and I will go to the school try to find that power source or at least distract Bakura."

Yugi stepped in beside his lover, taking a firm hold of Atemu's hand.

Ryou rose from the table, bony shoulders poking through his thin T-shirt. "I'll go to the school too."

"No, Ryou, you have to stay in the house in case Bakura comes back and gives you more information," Atemu instructed. "Besides you're not well enough."

Ryou's brown eyes stared blankly back at his best friend, apathetic for his own safety. "Atemu, he's not going to come back for me. Not until after he has the source."

"Ryou," Atemu said, almost pleading with logic. "There is no way of knowing what he may do to you if he sees you at school."

"The same goes for you, Yugi," Ryou countered smoothly, unafraid as wood.

Atemu caught his words. "Ryou…"

Ryou's head tilted to the side with understanding, white hair tumbling. "The more numbers we have, the more likely we are to survive. Besides, if things don't go well, you can always threaten my life. Bakura might go for that," he offered kindly.

Atemu went a few more shades paler.

Yugi squeezed his lover's hand. "Ryou's joking."

Atemu's face cracked. "Yes. I see."

Ryou grabbed his coat from the hook and walked unsteadily toward the front door. "Shall we go then?"

Jounouchi wrapped an arm around Kaiba's shoulders, grinning broadly like he and Kaiba were about to go on a picnic in the park. "Don't worry, guys! We'll join you shortly."

Kaiba, ignoring the idiot hanging at his side, tossed Atemu a cell phone. "We'll stay in contact, without magic. Low profile." Then the two mis-matched pair disappeared in another flash of blue.

Atemu sighed and pocketed the human device.

…)(-)(Revelation)-(-)(…

Malik was bored. Malik was dammed bored. Malik was dammed, _fucking_ bored.

He hadn't seen Ryou or Bakura for a week. They hadn't seen each other all winter holiday and now the pair weren't even present for the first week of the second semester. Perhaps they were at some fancy ski lodge together, drinking hot chocolate with tiny Styrofoam marshmallows, snuggled in toasty blankets…

Malik's imagination tortured him.

Whatever was going on, Malik was going to get to the bottom of it. He went to the office but the school had not recorded an excused absence for either of his friends. So Malik called Bakura's house and was answered by a computer which told him that the number he was calling had been disconnected. Malik didn't know Ryou's number. But Malik knew Ryou lived with some guy named Atemu, however when Malik looked for him the guy was also nowhere to be found. Neither was Yugi, Bakura… cousin, of some sort.

They had just disappeared.

This was ridiculous.

It was Friday, and Malik decided that if he still saw no sight of them, he would call the cops after school.

So when Malik was trotting down the dreary school hallways, being extra late for History class, he had not expected to see a head of long white hair trudging down the corridor.

Malik's heart jumped, and he ran, screaming, "Ryou! Hey! _Ryou_!"

The head turned and it wasn't Ryou.

Malik slammed on his breaks, skidding on the tile. His tongue slipped, choking on his own breath. "Ba-Bakura!"

The guy was… _so_… very… different. His gorgeous copper skin tone had shot to a pale as Ryou shade. His once healthy body was stick-like and sick. His hair looked thin, like thread, falling passed his shoulders

And Bakura's eyes were… Malik _swore_, brown?

Like Ryou-brown? This was _too_ weird.

"Wh-what happened?" Malik asked dripping with concern.

Bakura's intense glare was gone, replaced by a dazed shallow expression that, frankly, freaked Malik out.

Bakura barred his teeth. "Why? Do I look… altered?"

"Yes!" Malik exclaimed before he could stop himself.

Bakura sighed, disappointed. This was not the same Bakura. "You could at least lie," he grumbled.

Malik gulped. "Bakura… you're… you look… ill." He examined Bakura closely, peering at the shagging skin. "Are you feeling ok? Your skin is so…"

"Ill? Me?" Bakura repeated, tasting the word in his mouth. "Not sure…"

Repeat: This could _not_ be the real Bakura.

So Malik gaped at his changed friend's hand. "You've got to go to the nurse."

But when Malik attempted to tug Bakura to the medical room, his friend uncannily did not budge, as if Malik were tugging on a marble statue.

"Malik…" Bakura said, clutching onto that hand like it was a jewel and gazing up into the air-conditioning vents. "Malik… Malik…"

Malik changed tactics. Obviously he couldn't drag the guy anywhere he didn't want to go, nice to know that Bakura's stubbornness had stayed with him. "Bakura why haven't you been in school? Where's Ryou?"

At that, Bakura's face crumpled. "Don't-" he choked, physically choked, and he released Malik's hand, turning away. "Don't…"

This was odd. Anxiety filled Malik like water. Now he had to know what was going on, no matter the cost. If Bakura reacted so… hurtfully when Ryou's name was mentioned…

What had Ryou done?

"Come on," Malik urged, touching Bakura's elbow. This time Bakura allowed Malik to lead him into an empty classroom, though he faced the floor at every step.

Finally, Malik placed Bakura up against the wall. The interrogation would begin. "Tell me what happened," Malik requested, gentle yet firm. He had to know whether to kill Ryou the next time he saw him.

Bakura violently turned his head away. "No."

"Why are you sick looking?" Malik questioned, "What happened between you and Ryou?"

"_Don't_ say that-" Bakura snapped, and cut himself off again. His voice was rough, angry.

So Bakura was going to be angry. Fine, Malik braced himself, he could deal with that. "Don't what? What did Ryou do to you?"

"_Shut it_!" Bakura snarled, his whole body tense now. "_Shut the fuck_-"

Sadness seeped into Malik's stomach. It hurt him to see Bakura mad like this. It was so abnormal from Bakura's usual cool aloofness, as though the guy really cared about this. And it hurt a lot. "What happened?" he asked again, kind this time.

But Bakura's jaw was clenched, powerful restrained breathes blasting through his nostrils.

"Did Ryou-" Malik began.

"That _bitch_!"

And in a fit of sudden rage, a turn Malik had not predicted, Bakura jumped forward and tossed anything he could get his hands on, chairs, desks, lamps. Malik flinched at every smack of broken school property. A teacher was going to come in at any second, stop all this, stop Bakura from being so angry…

A chair flew passed Malik's head and smashed into the wall. "_Bitch_!"

"Bakura!" Malik grabbed one of his friend's dangerous arms. "Bakura, _please_ stop!"

Just as surprisingly, Bakura did. Soundlessly, he dropped the desk he had just picked up.

Malik breathed, still clutching his distressed friend. "You alright? Expressed all your anger?"

The classroom echoed with silence, the mourning of marred furniture.

Then Bakura turned and, just as strangely, pushed Malik into the wall behind him.

_Bam_. His eyes had that intense glare again. Despite his fear, Malik was grateful for that old familiar look that made him weak.

Bakura looked too disgusting, hurt. Damaged.

"Malik…" Bakura hissed, dropping his head again. "Sorry. I can't hurt you."

Malik's insides rushed. Inappropriately. So Malik drove that happy feeling down again. "Thank you."

"He just…" Bakura's hands squeezed Malik's shoulders, _hard_. "He just…"

Malik hesitated. He wasn't sure what exactly he should do. So he did the only thing that made sense to him. Malik tried to give Bakura a hug.

Mistake? Possibly…

He was slammed up against the wall again, harder this time, hurting his back.

But then Bakura snatched Malik's head and smashed him into a kiss.

'Oh… fuck…' Malik was stunned, confused, ecstatic, confused…

Spluttering, Malik pulled away as soon as he could manage. "B-Ba-Bakura, I- what are you…"

"Don't be thick," Bakura sneered, face oh-so-blissfully close, his hair falling into Malik's eyes, breathing each other's air. "You like it."

Still shocked, guilt and passion still battling in his gut, Malik blurted out, "What about Ryou?"

Bakura scowled, mad, like he was going to start breaking things again. "Ryou broke up with me."

Malik trembled, because at first he didn't believe it. "I'm… sorry…"

"No, you're not," Bakura spat viciously, his grip on Malik's neck tightening, "You want me. I know you do."

'Obsessively,' Malik's evil little voice added.

"Yes, but-" Malik stopped himself, "I don't want _this_- just because you feel bad!"

'What am I talking about?' Malik asked himself. 'Fucking take what I can get. If Bakura's offering… who cares about the reason!'

Bakura growled and tore himself off the wall, stomping out into the room again. "You're rejecting me too?"

"No!" Malik cried horrified. "I want you, _believe_ me, I just… want to make sure that…? Did you guys get into a fight?"

Bakura scoffed. "Fight?" he growled, kicking another chair. "Fight? Yes, a disagreement. We had one of those."

"About what?" Malik urged.

Bakura shook his head. "You wouldn't believe me."

Malik put an instant hand on Bakura's forearm. "I would believe anything you say," he promised sincerely. And he meant it.

Bakura paused and then, to Malik's delight, faced the Egyptian again. "I believe you."

It was the happiest moment of Malik's life.

Bakura returned to the wall with enthusiasm. Malik leaned backwards as Bakura towered over him with his cunning grin.

"I know you'll believe me," Bakura repeated savagely, "Because I'm going to show you. And you'll have no choice to believe me, but that's not the problem…"

"I don't care what it is," Malik said honestly. Because, shit, he really didn't care. Even if Ryou couldn't handle it, he could. "I'll stay by you."

Bakura drew closer, intimating Malik effectively, making the Egyptian's chest go all funny. "Will you? Forever?"

Breathless, Malik promised, "Of course."

Bakura considered this, suspicious, doubtful. Then he shrugged. "Very well."

And Bakura stepped back, standing in front of Malik like a sacrifice. "You know why Ryou ran away? Because he saw the real me. You'll want to run too. It's only natural."

"I won't," Malik insisted, commanding himself to stay still.

Bakura smirked, like he could read Malik's mind.

Malik braced himself again. He had no idea what was going to happen. And still he was completely unprepared as his whole reality shattered.

Bakura, his crush, his friend, _morphed_. His body actually, _incredibly_ changed. Like in a movie. Yes, Malik was in a movie right now. In a movie this… transformation was perfectly possible. But he couldn't cling to that denial for long. Because this… metamorphosis affected Malik's other senses as well. Light hit Malik's face and he felt, _felt_ the impact. He felt the energy from Bakura's changing in his bones. He heard his eardrums protest as space and air bent. He tasted the alien energies. This was far more real than any movie could be. Because it was real. Real.

Malik watched as Bakura's skin, hideously, rolled away, and revealed…

Malik did want to run, but he didn't. Because the thing that was standing in front of him was _so_ beautiful.

It was a figure with wings of a black metal. The skin was pale grayish blue. The hair, like Bakura's, white as snow.

It was beyond comprehension. Malik's brain was exploding.

"Well?" the creature, the beautiful thing spoke. Could this sound be called speaking? Were those really words?

Malik could only manage to breathe. "What… are you?"

The beautiful thing smiled at him. "An angel."

"Obviously," Malik commented. "Bakura… you're, you're… beautiful."

The creature, Bakura, was pleased. "I knew you would say that."

And to prove his point, Malik, shaking like a leaf, stepped forward, drawing closer to Bakura. He actually reached out, and Bakura let him touch his face, then the tips of his wings, the thin metal blades ringing. It was the strangest… most alien thing… most out of this world. It was too fantastic to happen to him.

This couldn't be true. "This is too amazing," Malik complimented. "You are amazing."

"I know," Bakura answered.

Then, in a second, like suction and two enormous slabs of metal slamming together again, Bakura turned back into… well, a human.

Malik was blown away.

"I can't stay revealed long, don't want to attract unwanted attention," Bakura explained.

Malik was still too stunned to answer.

"So," Bakura began, sauntering forwards, "You're not running away…"

Malik jumped into consciousness immediately, "No, I'm not."

"I'm rather surprised," Bakura admitted.

"Well," Malik scuffed the floor with his shoe, "It's certainly the strangest thing I've ever seen but… it's not really the only thing…"

Bakura was interested at that. Very interested. "What do you mean?"

Malik shrugged. "Well, I mean, its no big deal next to you but… I've got a bit of weirdness too."

Bakura's face was unreadable, but not expressionless. It was odd. A shiver disrupting Malik's muscles.

"Show me," the angel ordered.

Malik took a deep breath. "Ok." He would do anything Bakura told him to do.

So Malik walked over to one of the science tables, opened a drawer a pulled out a scalpel.

"Ready?" Malik asked, placing one of his hands flat on the table top.

Bakura grinned, which seemed somehow inappropriate for the situation. "Perfectly."

Not hesitating, for he had done this many times before, Malik raised the scalpel over his head, then with a mighty swing stabbed his own hand on the table top.

Bakura did not even flinch. Or blink.

Malik gave him a small smile. "See?" He lifted his 'stabbed' hand. It was as clean and unflawed as before. "Not even a cut." Then Malik offered Bakura the scalpel.

Bakura took the cutting tool. It was bent a very severe angel, the blade ruined.

"It's always done that," Malik chatted. "Ever since I was a kid. I've never even seen my own blood."

Hypnotized by the broken tool in his hand, Bakura's smirked. "I'd imagine so."

"I can't do anything else though. I don't fly, I don't have super strength or laser vision," Malik laughed as a joke, but soon turned very serious. "So… Do you… would you know what this means? I mean, I'm probably not an angel or anything but, have you seen this before?"

Casually, Bakura dropped the bent scalpel. It clanged loudly when it hit the floor. Malik flinched at the harsh sound.

"I have never seen this before." And Bakura faced Malik again, still grinning. "You are truly unique."

Malik trembled. Bakura's voice made him weak. "You are… beautiful."

Grinning, Bakura closed the distance between them. "Malik."

Malik was getting all fuzzy again. And, god, Bakura looked hot. The way he was talking to Malik, in that low delicious voice, pressing his body up against Malik's… "Bakura…"

Bakura whispered seductively in Malik's ear, "I want you."

And his arms roped Malik in, pulling them together.

Malik's body was a well of teenage sexual anticipation. "I-I do too."

"I want you _now_," Bakura ordered, squeezing Malik up against him in lust, in pure animal sex.

'Oh god!' Malik screamed inside in own head. 'Oh god… what am I doing?'

'Getting what you've always wanted,' answered his evil voice.

"Then," and Malik's breathing was increasing, "Take me, Bakura."

Bakura didn't wait another second.

…)(-)(Revelation)-(-)(…

It was like Ryou's feet were too small. Or his shoes. Or he was constantly top heavy, like he was light, floaty with his new angelic toxins, about to drift away. Was he even wearing shoes?

Unbalanced, Ryou stumbled, having to cling to the sides of lockers and the edges of doorways to stay on his untrustworthy feet. He had to rest frequently.

Yugi had offered to accompany him on his search but they would cover more distance separated. And Ryou wanted to find Bakura. _He_ wanted to find him. And he didn't want Yugi there when he did.

There was something in him, a pull, a line connected to his breath that would lead Ryou to Bakura.

They were connected, internally, inevitably.

After leaning for a few seconds on a reliable water fountain, Ryou pushed himself off, like a novice ice skater on a frozen waterfall.

There was not one human in the hallway. Ryou knew there wouldn't be. Because he was going to find Bakura and they would be alone when it happened. It was all part of Bakura's plan. His line, his connection to Bakura tugged him forward. Ryou's insides trembled worse than his ankles.

A door came up to meet Ryou, as though it were the only door in existence. And Ryou knew he had to open that door.

So he did.

And when the door had opened and swung cleanly into the wall behind it, Ryou's knees hit the floor two seconds afterward.

His heart skated off the edge.

Bakura was there, oh yes. But so was the human, Malik. And that human was up against the wall, hands tangled in Bakura's white-snow hair. Bakura's knees were also on the floor, his hands cupped behind Malik's thighs. But when the door opened Bakura didn't stop his progress, even though Malik cried out and tried to shove his head away so the human could pull up his pants again.

"Ryou!" the human exclaimed. Struggling to get away from Bakura's clutches, and attempting to conceal himself, the human toppled to the floor.

Ryou said nothing.

Why had Bakura wanted to show him this? He knew what this would do to Ryou. He knew…

"You're late, Yadonushi," Bakura snapped after an annoyed beat. "What? Having trouble walking?"

Ryou was speechless. Bakura already knew what he could have said.

Bakura had no trouble standing up and leering down at Ryou like that. "Not used to moving around in that form yet?"

Meanwhile, Malik had clothed himself. When he could he also stood up, at Bakura's side. "I'm sorry you had to see that Ryou," the human apologized. "But you have to admit, it really is none of your business anymore what Bakura and I choose to do together."

Bewilderment. Slowly, Ryou looked up, turning his gaze over to Malik now. "Sorry?" he choked.

Malik grabbed Bakura's hand, the same hand that had ripped Ryou's shirt last night… "Bakura told me everything. About how you rejected him. It hurt him, Ryou."

Ryou thought about this. Reject? Yes, he supposed at one time he did reject Bakura.

Now Malik got really angry, the human was very valiant. "I told you, Ryou. If you _ever_ hurt Bakura, I would _never_ forgive you? Do you remember that?"

Yes. Ryou remembered. So he nodded. Yes, he had hurt Bakura. Yes, he had betrayed him. But… But now Malik…

"Well, Bakura and I are together now. And I'm going to make sure that he's never going to hurt like that ever again," Malik proclaimed.

And Bakura smirked down at Ryou. Proud?

"Together?" Ryou repeated. Malik thought that he and Bakura were what? Going out? Dating? What had Bakura said to him?

Fear bubbled, making it hard for Ryou to breathe, but he tried. Bakura wanted Malik to want him. That was clear. But why? What part could Malik possible play in Bakura's scheme?

He could hurt Ryou. A lot.

Ryou had to try to save Malik. So what if Bakura had turned Malik against him? The human was in danger.

So Ryou gulped and trembled. "It's true, Malik. I did hurt him, and that's my fault, but you don't know the whole story. You don't know why-"

"Because he's an Angel? Isn't _that_ why?" Malik scathed.

Ryou couldn't believe that Malik could say that word. An angel? Did Malik know what that meant? He didn't. He was just a human! Bakura- Bakura broke the law. But- but- the Laws of Balance! He broke the Laws! He couldn't do that! Malik shouldn't even be able to comprehend-

"What did you do to him?" Ryou demanded to Bakura.

And Bakura smirked. And just stood there, with his arm around his human shield's shoulders.

"He didn't do anything to me!" Malik cried. "He showed me his true shape and I didn't run away, unlike you."

Ryou was in shock. He showed- he _showed_- he showed _Malik_- But humans shouldn't be able to see- to comprehend a Higher Being's true form…

"Bakura loves me," Malik announced and hugged the Fallen angel tighter. "And I love him."

Ryou looked at Bakura, with his eyes he implored the angel to let Malik go. Why Malik? Why did he have to use Malik like that?

But Ryou couldn't stand this room. This arrangement. He couldn't bare Bakura's gloating, all-knowing stare.

Ryou had been beaten. So he scrambled as fast and as quickly out the door as possible.

He ran from that room, from Bakura. From Bakura. He ran for a while, clambered around corners, slipping on tiles.

He ran until his head crashed into-

"Ryou? What happened?" It was Yugi. And he dropped to the floor, holding Ryou in his arms like a child. "Did you find Bakura?"

Ryou nodded. And Yugi understood because he didn't ask Ryou anything else. He just pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Ryou's face while Ryou burned inside.

Why? Why did Bakura want Ryou to see that? Why did he want Ryou to hurt?

…)(-)(Revelation)-(-)(…

"This it?" Jounouchi questioned, thumb directed at a small house with peeling paint.

Kaiba verified the location with his information. Yes, this was it. The place where the angel traitor was hidden. Hopefully this would lead to some concrete explanations.

"If asked any questions, be honest," Kaiba instructed. "We can't afford to make more enemies."

"You don't think the fact that I'm a demon is going to be a problem?" Jounouchi asked obviously.

"This angel is on the run from both sides, I don't think it will make a difference."

Kaiba approached the door, Jounouchi two steps behind him.

"Should I, ah, I don't know, hide in case this angel jumps you?" Jounouchi offered.

"I don't think there will be an ambush," Kaiba answered. "Thanks for the concern."

Jounouchi shrugged. The blonde appreciated the compliment much more that he showed, especially since Kaiba expressed his gratitude so rarely. It made Jounouchi want to… but they had something _important_ to do now. This was no time for foolish sex.

Kaiba knocked on the door and when he did he felt a pulse rush away from his hand. The angel knew there was a Higher Being at the door.

A deep, harsh voice called from behind the door. "Identify yourselves," it demanded.

Kaiba had expected this. "Principality Kaiba." He left out the part about being under the authority of the State of Heaven.

Jounouchi followed his lover's lead. "Count Jounouchi."

There was a pause. "A demon and an angel? Both Turned? State your business."

"We mean no harm!" Jounouchi called at the door. "We just want to ask you some questions about a power source."

There was more hesitation. Jounouchi looked concerned at Kaiba, wondering perhaps if he shouldn't have spoken up. However the door opened.

Kaiba bowed, for politeness. "Virtue Isis of the Ishtar clan?"

The copper-toned Arabic woman in the doorway did not look pleased. "My name is Ishizu now."

* * *

…)(-)(Revelation)-(-)(…

* * *

Ryou: Bakura… came to me last night…

Yamihitokiri: snicker (Note: author is not a 14-year-old boy)

Yes, yes, I turned Bakura in a slut. Mwahahaha.

Enjoy that? Get what's going on yet? You should.

**REVIEW!!**

NEXT CHAPTER!: Malik doesn't even realized what kind of shit he's in. Meanwhile Jounouchi and Kaiba have a talk with his "sister"

**REVIEW!!**


	28. Vindication

So this book, called _Peeps_, was recommended to me by my friend and since I was into this alternative vampirism fad I read it. I got to tell you, that book taught me things I did not want to know about, like all these parasite things eating snails eyes and exploding them and giant slime-worms that you pull out of the blisters in your foot. It was so gross. I suppose I'll have to read the sequel.

Speaking of sequels, you're crazy if you think I'm writing a sequel for this. Have you read this thing? This story is long enough!!

No, this is not named after a Dashboard Confessional's song! How dare you say that!

* * *

…)(-)(Vindication)-(-)(…

**Chyaputa 28: Vindication**

1. The act of vindicating, or the state of being vindicated; defense; justification against denial or censure, defense against criticism

2. the act of claiming or avenging rights

3.(Civil Law) The claiming a thing as one's own; the asserting of a right or title in, or to, a thing.

…)(-)(Vindication)-(-)(…

* * *

Jounouchi and Kaiba stepped into a moldy living room. Most of the furniture was old as though it was never used. The angel, Isis, going under the name of Ishizu Ishtar in the human realm, made her visitors tea. Kaiba would not drink it, because it might be poisoned. Jounouchi would, to be polite, which was probably best.

When the drink was served, the angel sat down on a moth eaten couch, like this was her death sentence. With pose and dignity, she began the conversation, "I would be lying if I said I hadn't expected to be discovered eventually, although not by a company such as yourselves."

"Yeah well…" Jounouchi shrugged modestly, his teacup tottering on his unstable saucer, "Our two groups have got a… temporary truce of sorts."

Ishizu was not simple; the woman had to have some wit to have survived in hiding for so long. "You two are not lovers?"

Jounouchi spit some of his scolding tea.

Kaiba remained composed. "We did not Turn each other, if that is your inquiry."

The ancient angel's expression was steady. "It was not."

Jounouchi sipped some more of his tea, loudly. It was an indecent, yet necessary distraction.

"To be honest the only reason I let you in was because you two were more interested in each other than me," Ishizu explained professionally, with continued pose.

Kaiba kept his head. This didn't matter. So the woman had an intuitive eye. That had nothing to do with the matter at hand. "We have come about your power source."

Something deep stirred in the woman, her proper elbows squeezed into her ribs. "So you call it. You two don't even know what you are talking about."

"Then tell us!" Jounouchi cried, setting his saucer down a little too hard so that the teacup rattled.

The woman shifted her attention to Jounouchi, examining him with her cunning. "Why should I reveal anything? To you who seem to want this thing for its power."

Jounouchi leaned forward, challenging their host. "We need this- raw energy thing to save our friend."

Ishizu was surprised by this, but still seemed unconvinced. "More power cannot possibly help your friend."

"Both angels and demons were ordered to fetch the prize you are protecting," Kaiba revealed, watching the female for the slightest reaction. "Both were told that it was a store of pure energy kept by the opposite side. It is clear that you do not have many allies. Even the State of Heaven does not bother to spare you from its wrath. Whatever you have done you have crossed too many paths." Here Kaiba paused, straightening himself up. "Perhaps we can help each other."

Ishizu sat very still for a few seconds, her mind a flash of quick calculations. "The Council will not forgive me. If what you are saying is true, then they expected me to die in this encounter."

Kaiba could not deny that. He himself had reached that conclusion. Jounouchi looked outraged at the way Heaven dealt with their own servants but chose wisely to brood in silence.

"And you two and your group, you have all decided to let me live?" she asked, defensively.

"We have decided to hear you out," Kaiba corrected.

The ex-Virtue angel actually smiled; it was a sad, pathetic smile. "A wise choice, but it is not my life I wish to save."

Jounouchi was once again interested. "We'll hear you out. We promise."

The woman was taken with the blonde's kindness; she must not have seen a lot of tenderness in her time. "I was on a mission for the State of Heaven, sent deep into the bowels of the Kingdom of Hell. Deeper than perhaps even you," she indicated to Jounouchi, "Have ever been."

She breathed, her long black hair shadowing her face. "My entire legion had perished. I thought I would soon be joining them until I happened to stumble upon a room that doesn't exist. Inside were… the most beautiful things you have ever seen. Do not ask me to elaborate, I can not describe it, I can't even remember what they looked like. Thousands and thousands of them. But I could not stay forever, duty pulled me from that fantastic place. But before I left I took one of the beautiful things with me."

Kaiba excused the vagueness of the woman's tale. It was obvious that she had come on accident to some place beyond comprehension. But she'd taken something, beautiful? "You stole a source of pure energy?"

Ishizu nodded solemnly. Her gaze was lost, drowned in the imprint of that experience. "I managed to get back to Heaven." Now her expression seemed to come back to reality. "The Council wanted what I had taken, threatened to snatch it away from me."

"So you escaped to the human world," Kaiba finished.

Ishizu had forgotten she had company. "Bringing it to human world changed it. My beautiful prize morphed to fit its new environment."

"What had you taken?" Kaiba asked.

The angel's jaw fixed itself, she was becoming proud and dignified again. "The Master's life. I took a piece of it and brought it to the mortal plane."

Jounouchi gaped. "The Master's life? How? Is that possible?"

"You yourself said he was so massive that he often breaks himself up into smaller pieces to accomplish his goals," Kaiba recited while pondering this all to himself.

"Well, yeah, in the form of a clone," Jounouchi said obviously.

The room froze.

In a burst of thought, like a damn breaking, Kaiba was having an euphony. "Pure energy is very versatile, that is why it is so desired. It can take any form, demonic energy, angelic energy…"

"But that form depends on an instruction." Jounouchi cornered the woman, "What form did you tell it to take?"

"Then why did it not change the moment she touched it," Kaiba disagreed. "No, this pure energy, this piece of the Master, this _clone_ was already programmed into what form it should eventually take, bringing it to the human world only triggered its transformation."

"So…" Jounouchi pieced this together, as quickly as his mediocre could manage, "It's in the shape of the Master? How's that possible? We would have noticed a Being walking around looking like the Master!"

Kaiba stood up. "No, we wouldn't because none of us has actually seen the Master's features. His power makes it impossible for anyone to actually set eyes on him, unless," Kaiba understood, "Unless that Being is very strong."

"Like Ryou used to be," Jounouchi said.

Kaiba's face hardened. "Like Bakura."

Ishizu, who had been silent this whole time, gracefully looked out the window. Her posture was perfect and her expression tragic. "I couldn't let him go. I love him."

"Who?" Kaiba demanded, fiercely. "What did you name this copy of the Master?"

Ishizu closed her delicate eyes. "He does not know what he is. He- Malik thinks he is my brother."

Kaiba snatched the cell phone from his pocket and dialed Atemu. This was it. This explained everything. The reason the pure energy's signal was scattered was because it moved. It was centered over the school because it was a staff employed or a student of the establishment…

Atemu answered in one ring. "Kaiba?"

"The source is in the form of a human, probably a teacher or student. First name Malik, last name Ishtar," Kaiba said briskly.

"Malik? Malik _Ishtar_?" Atemu repeated. His voice shot to cold in an instant. "I know him." Then Atemu hung up.

As Kaiba brought the phone away from his head, Ishizu stood, power ringing around her and through her silk black hair. "You cannot destroy him. I will not let you. He _is_ my brother."

"We're not the ones who want to hurt him!" Jounouchi insisted, honestly.

Ishizu, once again, looked shocked. "Then why…"

"There is another who is searching to absorb him," Kaiba explained. "We have a common enemy at the moment."

Ishizu's blue ancient eyes bounced between the two of them; she seemed to believe them. "I will assist you, and rescue my brother."

Jounouchi automatically turned to Kaiba for authorization. Kaiba could not argue, they needed all the help they could get.

"Come," Kaiba instructed. "We cannot waste time."

…)(-)(Vindication)-(-)(…

Atemu's cell phone slipped from his moist fingers after hanging up on Kaiba, wobbling into his coat pocket.

Malik Ishtar. Malik Ishtar. If only Atemu had heard his last name before! He would have known, or at least suspected. The clan of Ishtar was the most outstanding, long lasting, one of the most powerful angelic organizations in the State of Heaven. If Atemu had just heard his last name… The source in the form of a human…

If only he had given Yugi a cell phone, stayed with Ryou, then he wouldn't have to go looking for them now. Atemu's ribs protested in his chest as he ran; should he find Yugi or the source?

The hallway was empty, devoid of students. Which of these classrooms contained the energy source?

"Atemu!" That was a voice he wanted to hear.

Atemu discovered Yugi coming up behind them. Their bodies collided, arms around each other.

"Hey," Atemu touched Yugi's forehead. "The source is a human, Malik Ishtar."

Yugi's ribs expanded with his eyes. "Oh, good Heaven." Yugi shook himself. "I, um, haven't seen him. I haven't been checking the students."

"It's alright," Atemu reassured his lover. "We know what to look for now." Atemu's eyes darted to either side of the hallway. "And Ryou? Any word from him?"

Yugi bit his lip. "Bakura found him."

Expected fear and anger shook through Atemu. It was bad enough that none of them could have stopped Bakura from entering the house the previous night. "What happened? Is he…"

Yugi shook his head hastily. "No, he's fine. Um, physically. He didn't tell me what happened exactly but… he's resting in the nurse's office."

Atemu swallowed; Ryou was traumatized but alive, as normal.

Yugi's mind jumped to the worst conclusion. "Do you think… Bakura's already got the source?"

It was scary; even Atemu was, truthfully, anxious. "We can't give up yet."

Yugi's chin stuck out in determination. "We should get Ryou. Maybe he saw something."

Atemu didn't doubt that, he had himself come to that conclusion, but whether Ryou would be willing to tell them…

Soundlessly, hand in hand, Atemu and Yugi slipped down the concrete lined corridors and rows of lockers to the nurse's office. The nurse, after a series of spells from Yugi's nimble fingers, had gone home early so she could not report the student who was resting in her room. The boy was curled like a mammal in the folds of cheap cotton sheets, dry-looking, unsteady.

Atemu was at Ryou's side, but he already knew the era they had known was over; Ryou would never again come to Atemu to help, he was passed that, he needed assistance from someone else now…

Still Atemu kneeled by the fallen Prince's side. "Tell me," Atemu requested; he could not demand an answer, not anymore, "What happened with Bakura?"

Ryou was as soundless as his stare was soulless.

They didn't have time to wait; Atemu had to play a different tactic. "Malik Ishtar is the source."

Ryou jumped, no longer meek. "What?"

Atemu knew that Ryou had heard him perfectly well. "We cannot find Malik. Did you see him with Bakura?"

"He cannot-" Ryou spoke; it was not an answer to Atemu's question. "No, Malik is not- Malik cannot-" Ryou was still again, the shock was, hopefully, setting in.

"Ryou-kun, please," Yugi was giving it a shot. It couldn't hurt, Ryou wasn't listening to Atemu anymore. "Please, I know that he's Bakura. I know. Believe me, I know something about him, and I used to believe he was good inside, deep down. But-" Yugi bowed his head as though asking for forgiveness. "Bakura betrayed me too."

Ryou had the grace enough to set his eyes on the top of Yugi's head. "No." He said and all hope was lost. "No, _I_ betrayed him."

"He's Bakura," Yugi said simply, tragically. "He manipulates things."

Ryou thought about this, "He's long gone by now. He would have moved on. Malik is with him."

Atemu felt the world shift. Was this the end? If Bakura already had the source… Atemu fought off those depressing thoughts. No, there was still a chance.

Ryou got up from the bed. "I love him."

Yugi put a hand on Ryou's elbow; the boy flinched. "I know. I think he loves you too."

Ryou began to tremble. "I might be our only weapon against him."

…)(-)(Vindication)-(-)(…

Their new ally was fast on her feet. She flew through the sky so skillfully that Jounouchi could only observe her as a spinning streak of sand yellow, the color of her wings, and copper. Kaiba stayed dutifully beside him, blue eyes continuously watchful.

"But what can we do?" Jounouchi shouted above the shriek of wind in his ear. "If we manage to get there in time, get the power source before Bakura does, she's not going to let us use it."

Kaiba's angelic face was just as stony as his mortal one. "Then we will have to fight her. Yugi, if he is up to the challenge, has more than enough capability to keep her occupied. We will need her assistance however if Bakura manages to claim the power source before we do."

Jounouchi growled, "It looks bad, Kaiba! Either way, there's practically no chance we can win! If we get the power source, how are we going to hold off both Bakura and this Virtue lady? And what the fuck's going to stop Bakura from absorbing the source's power the moment he gets his greedy little hands on it? There is no way in Hell, or Heaven, that we can stop him."

Kaiba's great black-feathered wings looked like a crow in the daylight, unlike when Jounouchi usually saw them in the dark. "The source should have its own remedial defenses, that should buy us some time. However, what you say is true. We do not have a favorable situation," Kaiba admitted coldly. "Prediction is useless in this case."

Jounouchi groaned. "I was afraid you'd say that." His wings were stretched for speed, the white membrane pulsing. "Shit."

Kaiba agreed in silence.

The three reached the school and fell into a private spot between two buildings, shifting into their human forms.

The new lady, Ishizu, was rigid with a cool sort of panic. "I can still sense my brother. He is, at this moment, still alive."

'Alive?' Jounouchi felt a pain inside. 'How can an energy source be alive?' To this female angel, the source of power was human, had feelings. 'But there is no way to defeat Bakura without the power from the source. We are no match for him even combined.' Jounouchi tightened his now human hands into fists. 'This is a war and wars always have sacrifices.'

But a war with who? Who was the enemy? The angels? Not Kaiba. Not Yugi. Bakura then? But then after Bakura, if they somehow managed to defeat that monster, what would happen? Where would the source go? If it was going to be used during the battle, who was going to use it? Yugi? That seemed the most logical choice. But could he handle it? And would that mean a win for the angelic side?

Where were all of them going to go after this? Would they split up again? Angels going back to Heaven. Demons going back to Hell…

Before Jounouchi could think anymore, he, Kaiba, and Ishizu exited their hiding place and sprinted to the school. Kaiba called Atemu on the cell phone while in stride, the guy was just fantastic like that. So they jumped the gate, entered the school grounds and met Atemu, Yugi, and Ryou on the front steps.

Kaiba made brief introductions. "This is Ishizu Ishtar. She is the source's caretaker."

Atemu's eyes alighted with recognition. Yugi bowed politely. Ryou was so dazed, Jounouchi wouldn't have been surprised if the guy didn't know if he was standing or not.

"Disclose your story again, briefly," Kaiba ordered the woman, in his shortest Kaiba-like manner. Then he grabbed Jounouchi's arm roughly, and the Bleached angel was surprised as he found himself being pulled away from the crowd by the determined Fallen angel. "We will check the school office for any news of the source's movements under the school's supervision." And then Kaiba stormed off, Jounouchi in tow. Which kinda hurt, actually. It was really unnecessary because Jounouchi would have totally gone willingly if Kaiba had just asked.

Once they were in the school though, Kaiba turned purposely into an empty classroom, not to the school's office, and before Jounouchi could ask why, slammed the door shut behind them.

When Jounouchi got a good look at his lover's face again, he realized that Kaiba was as serious as death. "Jounouchi…"

Jounouchi was obviously confused by this strange behavior. "Yeah? What's up?"

Kaiba's head was bent low, but he approached Jounouchi all stealthy like, like a haunting fucking cloud or something. "You have to drain me."

Jounouchi was struck. His mouth had to work itself for a second or two before speaking again. "Woah. Now, Kaiba, you know I like ya, but do you really think _now_ is the best time?"

Again, Kaiba approached. Again, his head was bent low, hiding his face. His broad, normally proud, shoulders were rigid. "This is necessary."

Jounouchi didn't know why Kaiba wanted him that badly. 'Suppose it wouldn't be so bad to go into a deathly battle with a bit of a buzz.' It appealed to him in a sick way, or it would have if the upcoming battle wasn't going to be so important, yet it didn't seem like Kaiba's style. "Don't you think we have _other_ things to worry about now."

But Kaiba, the tank, was unstoppable. "Jounouchi," he repeated. And this time he reached for Jounouchi's shoulders, touching him on the neck. His palms were unKaiba-like and sweaty. "Do it. I know you want more of a taste then you had last night. Take it, Jounouchi."

Jounouchi made to pull away, back up, but there was a table behind him. "Look, Kaiba, what's up, huh? What the hell is wrong? Tell me, man."

But Kaiba, being Kaiba, was getting angrier, more vicious. His nails dug into the back of Jounouchi's human neck and dragged him forward, the blonde stumbling stupidly. "I'm _ordering_ you to do it."

Jounouchi was right up against Kaiba's body now, the bastard pressing Jounouchi's mouth against his angelic fleshy neck. Jounouchi would have fought back, easily, of course, but he didn't think resisting Kaiba was the best opinion right now. So he tucked his teeth in and said. "_No_, Kaiba. We can't risk it, not for this battle."

Kaiba was so close, his hands clutching Jounouchi's body with such force… Jounouchi could feel his lover trembling. "We can't afford not to."

Jounouchi did pull away now. He looked up into Kaiba's brooding tight face. The bastard was not happy. He looked tortured.

"_Shit_, Kaiba, what in Hell are you talking about?" Jounouchi snapped, resisting Kaiba's continued pressure on the back of his skull. "If I do this your power will weaken! Don't you fucking know that?"

"My power is useless in its current state." Kaiba countered harshly, biting the words right in Jounouchi's face, millimeters from the tip of his human nose.

Jounouchi hesitated. "I don't understand…"

And outstandingly, for only once in his long existence, pain showed from Kaiba's face. And it was so un-like him that Jounouchi had to take the emo angel seriously. This was not going to be fun.

"Bakura absorbs my power. Can you recall that time in the cottage when my shields were utterly useless. I can do nothing. My power must be transported into a being that can actually use it."

Jounouchi gaped. "Kaiba, no, you… you don't know what you're asking for. And, well, you're an angel, I'm not even sure if works that way."

"Do you remember my childhood?" Kaiba asked sickeningly knowledgeable. "I know it works. I have seen it. I can give you my blood, and you will grow stronger."

Jounouchi pulled away. "And what is going to happen when Bakura goes after you, huh? Ever think of _that_?"

Kaiba was disgusted. "It doesn't matter, I can do nothing against his attacks in either case. My strength will only be added to his."

And Bakura sure as fuck didn't need _more_ power.

Jounouchi could see Kaiba's plan. It was a good plan and a logical one, very Kaiba-like. Jounouchi could do more damage with this. But that required draining all, pretty much all, of Kaiba's blood. And that would make Kaiba… weak.

Jounouchi never wanted to see Kaiba weak.

The proud tainted angel was acting all strong now, righteous. But he was trembling. And Jounouchi grabbed Kaiba's trembling, girlie hands.

'He hates this,' Jounouchi knew. 'Weakening himself. He hates what he has been reduced to. He would rather be me.' Jounouchi almost wished it too. To save Kaiba from his own humiliation.

Kaiba was still shivering, and he was up close and vulnerable in Jounouchi's hold.

"I command you to drain me," he said again, voice stiff. "Now."

Jounouchi sighed, and breathed in Kaiba's scent. "If that's what you want…"

Kaiba did not answer. Instead he released his strong angelic form, readying himself for the ordeal.

The least Jounouchi could do was make it quick.

Or… make it better.

"Oh… Kaiba," and Jounouchi groaned in a voice strange even to him. He let go of Kaiba's hands and slithered, yeah slithered, his own up to Kaiba's face. "O-oh, Kaiba," Jounouchi groaned, tongue coated with lust.

Kaiba grew rigid in confusion. "What are you-"

"Oh- oh-" Jounouchi squirmed on Kaiba's immortal chest. "Will it hurt? Kaiba-kun?"

He couldn't believe he was doing this, playing the cutesy part. 'I'm going to make myself vomit.'

"What?" Kaiba was disgusted and… yet…

Jounouchi traced Kaiba's hairline absolutely lovingly, flicking stray locks of angelic hair. "Your blood inside of me. I want it Kaiba-kun. I want it," and Jounouchi breathed hotly when he said this, "But I'm afraid your blood will hurt."

Kaiba's face was twisted in a disgusted fashion. He was so confused it was almost laughable. Almost. Because, at least, he was no longer trembling.

Jounouchi turned his head and licked Kaiba's ear. "Will it? Will I scream when I feel you inside me?"

In a flash of heat and mercilessness, a feat only Kaiba could manage, the Tainted angel clutched Jounouchi with inhuman strength. "Yes. Although Tainted, angel blood still hurts, but it won't kill you."

This was a rush, Jounouchi was making himself tremble now. "Oh, Kaiba-kun, I hope so."

Kaiba bent down and growled at Jounouchi's neck. He was eating this up. And he was no longer trembling. "Now change," Kaiba ordered, words low and tantalizing in his throat.

Jounouchi cupped the back of Kaiba's hand and slid it down his own human chest. "Make me."

Kaiba looked like he was going to do just that but had something a little different in mind. He bit Jounouchi's human neck hard, his soft angelic teeth irritating the skin.

Jounouchi demon senses roared. "Fuck. _So_ not fair," he moaned, basking in the pain.

"We don't have time to play nice," Kaiba snarled. Jounouchi's feet were off the ground, Kaiba cradling him in his holy arms and feathered wings of darkness. Kaiba gnawed expertly on his human flesh.

"Fuckshit, Kaiba. Just bite through already, you bastard," Jounouchi pleaded, wanting, aching to be priced.

Kaiba smirked at him, arrogance exploding from his brilliance. "We don't have time for that."

"Fuck- You-" Jounouchi barked, through gasps. Then with a finally snap from Kaiba's not-so-angelic teeth, the pressure within Jounouchi popped and his demonic form broke forth.

Jounouchi slammed Kaiba backwards on the table. Black feathers smacked the tabletop and spread out upon the surface, defenseless beneath Jounouchi's crouching stance, his white leather wings erect. The side of the demon's neck, inflamed from the angel's ineffectual teeth, throbbed.

"Fuck you, Kaiba," Jounouchi repeated, fangs growing past his lips.

Kaiba smirked again. "Enjoy it while you can. This will be your only opportunity to be on top."

Jounouchi responded by spearing the bastard in the side of the neck.

Once again, Jounouchi swallowed Kaiba life, his power, his essence. It was good, sweet and spicy. Jounouchi's innards were tingling with the acid. But after a few moments, the fun began to wane. His mouth screamed with pain as angel blood crowded into his senses, taste, smell, touch, all he could hear was Kaiba's blood searing his tissues. He coughed, choked.

'Fuck no, shit. No,' Jounouchi ordered himself. No, he would not stop. He could not, not after what Kaiba was willing to do. No, not if this was their only chance to nail Bakura. Not if Kaiba was counting on him.

Jounouchi would not let Kaiba down.

So he braced his body for the pain, for the destruction of his insides, and breathed Kaiba in. Breathed him, into his chest, his arms, his legs, his toes, his brain…

And for a moment, when Jounouchi felt so much of Kaiba inside him, he thought… he knew Kaiba. Knew him. Understood him. In such a deep way…

Could Kaiba feel this too?

Jounouchi was at his limit. He simply could not take any more of Kaiba inside him. So he slipped backwards, lifted his mouth from Kaiba and lay on top of him.

He was dizzy as fuck. And hot. Hot as Hell itself. Hot. Completely disoriented.

But Kaiba was beneath him.

"Hey…" Jounouchi managed, a dribbling of blood fell out of his lips. He felt stuffed, like he might throw up his blood right there. "Kaiba?"

The body beneath him did not move.

Jounouchi panicked instantly. "Kaiba? Shit, wake up!" Jounouchi rolled himself off of Kaiba's chest, pulled himself up on his elbows and peered into the angel's face. "Kaiba?"

He was grayer, surprisingly, which was, now that he thought of it, expected. Not a lot greyer though, not as grey as Ryou during his bad times. Just a bit silvery on the edges. His face had a blank, shocked expression, beautiful blue eyes gazing upwards through Jounouchi.

"Hey," Jounouchi touched his face. Again when Kaiba didn't respond, Jounouchi slapped him. "Hey! Bastard!"

Kaiba blinked and his eyes finally focused. "Jounouchi."

"Fuck! Why in Hell didn't you answer before?" Jounouchi demanded, pounding the table to the left of Kaiba's head.

Kaiba remained motionless. "Did you drain me?"

"Hell yeah, I fucking drained you. Don't ya feel any different?"

Soundlessly, without help from Jounouchi, Kaiba sat up. A spasm of pain crossed his face, making his mouth twitch. His arms wobbled, as they supported his upper body.

"Can you stand?" Jounouchi asked.

Kaiba scoffed. He looked thinner too, Jounouchi noticed. "_Obviously_ I can stand."

His skinny legs swung to the floor. Then his body tipped, and he fell face forward. Jounouchi caught him in less than a second. He was pretty fast.

Kaiba's expression contorted as Jounouchi dropped to the floor beside him and put an arm around his back.

"Gotcha," Jounouchi said helpfully, as the angel's full weight fell against him. But Kaiba could not take a joke now. And that was understandable since Kaiba was so prideful and confident normally.

"Let's go," Jounouchi urged, carrying, fuck, carrying Kaiba out of the classroom.

And as he did, Jounouchi couldn't help but notice that Kaiba was really quite light. But that must have been because of all his blood loss, right? Then, Jounouchi stepped on the floor and the tile floor felt like butter, soft. And Jounouchi, dizzy and hot, drifted down and out of that school hallway in a flash of unnecessary and unexpected speed. He was faster. He was stronger. And his wings, rippling out behind him were brighter than ever before.

…)(-)(Vindication)-(-)(…

Malik woke on the cold school floor, back aching and stomach strangely nauseous.

'Shit, what happened to me?'

He scanned the room and found one solitary back against the rays of the afternoon sun glaring passed his shoulders and wild white hair.

Bakura.

'He's mine,' Malik thought in pure untainted amazement. 'He wants me.' Even confronted with the love of his past, Ryou, who had interrupted them in their… moment of passion, Bakura had not moved from his side. Bakura loved him.

Malik was so full of bliss he could sing, and he didn't sing very well.

His love, his angel- good God he had forgotten about that. That had been a very odd coincidence. Malik had been strange since his birth, his sister dodging him from school to school, town to town to make sure that he could avoid contact with doctors. All to make sure his condition would not be discovered. And he and Bakura had found each other, like they were in some strange supernatural romantic novel.

So why had he been asleep? He must have exhausted himself while in the throws of love with Bakura.

"You are awake." This was a statement.

Malik jumped. "Ah, yeah." He got to his feet and noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes, and his pants were precariously slipping from his hips since belt had been removed and his fly was unzipped. Malik fixed this, heat flowing to his face as he remembered how they become undone. "How long have I been asleep?"

"You fainted," Bakura said. And now Malik recognized the hard note in his words, almost mechanical.

"Fainted? When?" Had he been overwhelmed during their act?

Bakura was immobile, back still facing Malik, his face as mysterious as that strange tone in his voice. "You could not perform."

Malik hesitated, fear rising. "Perform? But… but I don't remember that." Had he been bad? He had after all never done it before. Had he not had the stamina? Guilt and embarrassment coursed through him.

Bakura moved to examine his nails. "You cannot produce liquids of any kind, it seems. Not blood, not tears, not sweat. Not even in sex can you produce the normal human seed."

Horrified, Malik's fingers slipped into rigid fear. He had known he couldn't cry, or bleed, or sweat, but he had never tried to produce… he had been too afraid of what might not happen.

"You only said you couldn't bleed," Bakura mentioned and this statement was cool. Betrayed.

Bakura had already been betrayed so many times.

"I'm sorry," Malik cried. "I didn't-"

'Will Bakura leave me?'

'No, Bakura cannot afford to leave you,' his little voice said. 'He loves you too much.'

"I'm sorry, I never expected us to go so far!" Malik pleaded, inching toward the angel he loved. "I'm sorry. I know I'm a freak, but I didn't know this would happen-"

There was a hand at his mouth, hushing him. Bakura, who had one second ago been sitting at the window, had appeared soundlessly, miraculously at his side. Then, just as mysteriously, Bakura turned Malik's head to the side and kissed him.

'He loves you,' Malik's little voice sung to him.

Bakura's tongue explored his mouth and then suddenly jumped back out. An expression of intense contemplation targeted Malik, as though he were a puzzle or a treasure chest that needed to be unlocked. And Bakura was looking at this treasure chest absolutely hungrily.

"Not even a decent amount of spit," Bakura chided. His eyes weren't looking at Malik, they were looking into Malik.

Malik was too afraid and embarrassed to speak up. He wanted to do anything to help Bakura, whatever he was trying to do.

"I cannot drink you." Bakura tapped his temple with a cunning finger. "Perhaps I'll have to eat you whole…"

That sounded supremely sexual. And yet not. Hadn't they just done that? Did Bakura want to repeat that humiliating experience?

"Malik," Bakura said, as though calling him to attention.

Malik jumped. "Yes."

Bakura's keen eyes looked at him again, and it was extremely uncomfortable. "You said you wanted to be with me forever."

"Yes, and I do," Malik cried.

Bakura continued impassively. "You want to be bonded to me, eternally, never again to be separated?"

"Yes!" Malik said with all the truth he could muster.

But Bakura was as cold as ever. "Then why don't you just give yourself to me? Why won't you let me have you?"

Malik gaped, gulped. "I am, I just did, I thought. I'm sorry if I can't perform but I'll try again-"

"You don't really want me," Bakura interrupted.

Appalled, shocked, Malik felt vulnerable. "I do! I will give you everything."

"I want _you,_" Bakura growled, angry. "Can't you give me that?"

Malik trembled, afraid. "I want to. B-but I don't know how."

Bakura thought about this, intrigued it seemed. "Then we'll find a way."

…)(-)(Vindication)-(-)(…

Yugi felt this angel's pain. He understood it. He wanted to help her.

He gazed across the space between Atemu and himself and tried to communicate to his boyfriend, 'We cannot kill her brother. Not after all she's been through. Not after all she has suffered.'

Yugi was so sympathetic it was hurting him.

Atemu, however, remained suspicious, questioning the woman at ever turn, for every detail, diligent at keeping her feelings in perspective. One of them had to keep an objective view on the situation. Ryou embodied silence. His stare so steady that he could wear down a stone wall.

When Isis the Virtue had finished her tale, she turned the conversation over. "Since I have revealed myself to you, tell me about yourselves. How is it that your two parties combined?"

Atemu gestured to his lover. "Yugi, Kaiba, and Bakura were sent down by the Council of Seraphim and Cherubim to kill you and take the source back to Heaven."

"It wasn't like that," Yugi cried, wanting to remain the image of sympathetic. "We were told to retrieve an energy source from the demons. We were not told about you."

"Though, nonetheless, that was most likely their intention," Atemu added truthfully.

With a small smooth gesture of her hand, Ishizu forgave Yugi for all his miscommunications. "It is understandable. What I did was an act of treason against the State of Heaven. Naturally I would be a fugitive."

Atemu seemed to agree and continued. "Myself, Jounouchi, and Ryou," he motioned to the Fallen Prince at his side, "Were sent down by the Master to kill you and take back the source to Hell."

"Our two groups met along the way," Yugi explained. "We had complications."

Atemu turned mean again. "Bakura."

Yugi bit his lip. Ryou, surprisingly, did not twitch. He simply lost interest in the conversation, as though he had heard it all before.

"Bakura?" Ishizu questioned, rotating her slender form to face Yugi. "One of your angels?"

Yugi gulped. "Bakura is unique and very… rebellious."

"We captured him," Atemu recited, speeding through unnecessary details. "He Turned himself." That description was very polite on Atemu's part. "Now he is determined to get his hands on the power source and absorb it."

Ishizu's throat stretched, holding her head high. "He is the one who must be stopped."

Atemu turned away from the conversation, resigned. His ruby eyes flickered over countless calculations and simulations. "We cannot stop him. And can I guess that since you care so much for your brother, you won't be letting us absorb him?"

"That is correct," Ishizu spoke, almost as if in challenge.

Atemu spun back, face devoid hope. "Without the power that is inside Malik, we cannot defeat Bakura. He has become too powerful, even if our powers are combined."

"How powerful can he be?" Ishizu questioned.

"He has already absorbed the power of one of the Master's clones. Imagine how strong he shall be with two."

Ishizu grew hostile. "Forgive me if I am being rude, but this Bakura is your problem, a complication between the State and the Kingdom, not of mine or my brother's."

Atemu's eyes lit. Yugi could see his natural righteous, heroic instinct swelling up. "We are here because of you. We are down here fighting and dying and sacrificing ourselves for _you_ and an inanimate object, that _abomination_ you call a brother-"

"Don't."

Ishizu had not been rash enough to retaliate first. It had been Ryou who had spoken. "Don't call Malik an inanimate object," Ryou said. He wasn't looking at any of them when he said this. He was looking up at the clouds. "He is one of my dear friends."

Yugi was filled with a warmth toward Ryou he had never felt before. Who knew Ryou was capable of such compassion? If only Yugi hadn't convinced himself that Bakura held the same potential. Then perhaps…

Atemu was, in his own controlled way, furious, but he respected and liked Ryou too much to retort caustically, Yugi knew. Ishizu stared in rich amazement at Ryou, appreciating him for the first time.

"It wouldn't be wise to abandon us so quickly," Ryou continued, obviously referring to Ishizu this time though his eyes were still gazing upward. "Since you will need our help to get your brother back."

Panic rushed like color into the woman's evenly toned complexion. "You are saying that Bakura already has him?"

Ryou nodded simply.

Like a tragic heroine, her majestic eyes filled with hard sorrow.

Yugi jumped forward. "It's not over yet. We should still have some time."

Ishizu seemed to take heart from these words; her face became more determined. "I can convince him," Ishizu said assured.

"Malik won't come back that easily," Ryou said.

"Jounouchi and I can at least keep Bakura distracted. That will give you a chance to call to him," Yugi said to Ishizu.

"I wasn't referring to Bakura," Ryou mused, closing his eyes so that the sky could rain soft light upon his pale face. "Malik won't want to leave Bakura."

"Why?" Yugi asked curiously.

But Ryou only dropped his head, away from the sky and the fluffy clouds. Ishizu actually seemed nervous, as though she did understand what Ryou was talking about.

At that moment, a stumble of feet and cursing signaled the return of Jounouchi and Kaiba. When Yugi turned to greet them he found the two directly behind him as though they had just appeared into existence. Kaiba looked sick, he seemed to be supported solely on Jounouchi's arm. The blond who, even though Kaiba's entire weight was upon him, stood as straight and stable as ever before.

"Yo, ah, guys," Jounouchi greeted sheepishly. When he grinned he revealed bloody teeth. Yugi was startled but no one else seemed to be. There was, after all, a smear of blood on Kaiba's neck.

Atemu stared blatantly at the pair. "Jounouchi-kun, kindly wipe your mouth."

The blonde became severely embarrassed, the extra blood in his system rushing to his face. "Ah… right." And he did so, blood trailing on his knuckles.

Yugi blushed for him.

"So… ah, what's, ah, going on?" Jounouchi asked, desperately changing the subject.

"Bakura has Malik. Malik's still alive, but is in love with Bakura," Atemu recited. "And we have no idea where they are."

"Can we kill Malik?" a grunting, harsh voice in Jounouchi's arms asked. Kaiba, it seemed, although weak and unable to stand, was still conscious.

"No," Ishizu snapped.

Kaiba rolled his head onto Jounouchi's shoulder; his fierce eyes had not lost their luster. "Then we have lost."

Atemu was in agreement. "It cannot be avoided, the source has retained a human guise and knows nothing else. Killing him would be exactly like killing a human."

"To defeat that monster, I would kill many humans," Kaiba snarled. "You are all too weak."

"Shut it," Jounouchi barked at his companion.

"That is no longer an option," Atemu dismissed. "Besides," Atemu's eyelids were flickering again. "We have at least one device against Bakura."

One device? Yugi turned, as did everyone else to glance at Ryou, who's eyes were closed, as though blocking it all out.

'But will Bakura really go for that?' Yugi wondered. Bakura had already betrayed Ryou once before, but certainly he wouldn't want Ryou to get hurt or… or…

"We must find Bakura and take the source away from him before we can calculate a counter attack," Atemu continued as though there had been no interruption.

"Yeah. But to do that we need to find the asswipe first," Jounouchi reminded his fellows.

"I can't sense anything," Atemu admitted. "What about you Yugi?"

Yugi shook his head and then his eyes fell on Ryou's slim shoulders, the tips of his stringy white hair.

'Wait,' Yugi's mind suddenly hit something.

"But Ryou should," he finished.

The entire party's attention was warped onto Yugi; his tiny body began to feel the pressure. But his mind sped.

The Hashmallim swerved to Atemu, "You said that Bakura received Ryou's old powers, right? To see minds and stuff?"

"And control shadows," Jounouchi confirmed. "We saw it first hand." He shrugged the limp Kaiba further up on his shoulder.

"Yes," Atemu answered, uncertainly, waiting to see where Yugi was going.

"Then Ryou should have Bakura's old abilities too," Yugi concluded.

Atemu was thoughtful yet interested. "Theoretically."

"Then Ryou can find him!" Yugi was getting very excited all of the sudden. "Bakura had a special ability of tracking Higher Beings, he could pick up the faintest hint of an aura."

Although the idea was brilliant, Ryou seemed utterly befuddled. "But… but I can't sense anything different."

Yugi shook his head. "It's not sensing. Bakura kinda…" he pause, picking through his vocabulary, remembering how Bakura's nostrils would flare, "Smells them out."

Jounouchi scoffed, in disbelieve and amazement. Atemu had already refocused his stare completely on Ryou. And Ryou began easily flustered.

"I…" Ryou glanced, slightly frantically, around at his friends. "I've never smelled…"

"Please try," Atemu instructed. And Yugi noticed that his attitude towards Ryou had changed so much in these last few days. Atemu was no longer as maternal and protective as before, although he did still care for the boy a great deal. He just… didn't take care of Ryou as fervently as he used to.

'Is it because of me?' Yugi wondered.

Hesitantly, and with an air of incredulity, Ryou closed his eyes and extended his neck to a wandering breeze. There were a few painful seconds where no one moved, the attention was all on their white Prince.

Ryou's brow wrinkled. "Really. I can't sense anything."

"Smell, Ryou, smell," Jounouchi reminded him, and took a big whiff of breath himself.

Ryou was anxious, but set his jaw and sniffed self-consciously at the air.

Almost immediately, Ryou's head snapped down again.

"What?" Yugi asked, hopefully.

"It's sweet," Ryou described.

No one knew what to make of this, they glanced at each other awkwardly.

"I think Malik smells sweet," Ryou recalled mildly, almost to himself.

"Then follow it," Ishizu spoke, hollow-like, as though she didn't dare become excited.

With delicate steps, Ryou walked away from the front of the school and made his way around the corner, towards the soccer fields. The group followed him. Ishizu tracing Ryou's footsteps, Atemu behind her, Yugi shortly after him, and Jounouchi carrying the uncharacteristically weakened Kaiba on his shoulder.

While they walked, Yugi felt fingers dance over his palm. It was Atemu, reaching back to him. Yugi gladly grasped his love's hand. Atemu clutched Yugi's hand and in that touch communicated his fear into Yugi the uncertainty of the up-coming combat. And Yugi tried, by letting Atemu squeeze his hand, to tell him that everything would be alright.

Ryou's feet stopped on a turf of grass, a soccer field and a science greenhouse stood between them and the school building.

"Is my brother here?" Ishizu asked, again restraining hope.

Ryou shook his head.

"Then what in Hell are we-" Jounouchi began but was cut off…

… as a shadow dashed across the sports fields and formed ten feet from their very spot.

And the shadow formed into a solid mass.

And as Yugi and Atemu held each other's hands, connecting each other, the shadow morphed into two figures, one copper and blonde. The other sickly pale, a taller version of Ryou.

"Seems we are being hunted down," Bakura growled, bony fingers clawing Malik's silky locks. And if his human body looked weak, it was in complete and utter contrast to his eyes, which hurt to look at. It was like looking into a roaring fire, or the glowing tables of the Council.

In the flurry of movement that followed, Yugi's ears picked up sickly phrases from Bakura's sour mouth. "Don't worry," the corrupted angel cooed to his terrified captive. "I'll protect you."

* * *

…)(-)(Vindication)-(-)(…

* * *

BTWs this is like the…. Third to last chapter. Which means that next chapter is the second to last, which means the one after the next one is the FINAL CHAPTER! (gasp) (I know, finally)

Do I have another story after this??? (Empathy is almost done too, but it only has like 12 chapters so we'll see.) I don't know. It's not that I don't have stories, cause I do… but any to update…?

NEXT CHAPTER!! Well you see, first the whole party, angels and demons and villains and heroes and all the main characters sit down together at the same table and pass tea and crumpets around and Yugi and Kaiba compose a lovely two-part-harmony-remix of "You are the wind beneath my wings" and Bakura is so charmed by Kaiba's metso-forte that he gives Malik back to his sister and snuggles up to Ryou, apologizing profusely about how wrong he has been and of course they should live together and have many albino children. You know, either that or there's this final battle thing. Whichever sounds more interesting.

I really shouldn't put so much effort into my Authors Notes.

**REVIEW!! BECAUSE I HAVE A SPARKLING PERSONALITY!! (also the story is good)**


	29. Desolation

Honestly guys. The only reason I didn't update this sooner was I couldn't think of a title. I got one for the last chapter, the one after this one.

Also it's the season to be unproductive, seriously.

DON'T FORGET: Never lose your awesomeness. Cause without that, you ain't got nutin'.

It's ok, some times I don't know what I'm saying either.

**

* * *

**

Chyaputa 29: Desolation

1. The act of desolating or laying waste; destruction of inhabitants; depopulation.

3. A place or country wasted and forsaken. havoc; devastation; ravage; destitution; wretchedness; misery.

4. Sadness resulting from being forsaken or abandoned

* * *

Bakura smelled like alcohol. Poisonous, drug-like, but sweet.

Malik smelled sweet. Sweeter than candy. A delectable scent that was nearly irresistible. So was the characteristic pull of pure magic.

All of these new smells were driving Ryou insane.

When Bakura jumped into the sky, bursting like a flower into his majestic demonic form with Malik in his clutches, Ryou had to stare. Bakura was beautiful. Far more beautiful than Ryou could imagine. When the beautiful thing shot into the trees, the company around Ryou frantically followed. But Ryou stood for a few moments wondering where his beautiful thing had gone.

Then he remembered.

And Ryou tried not to remember things like this.

Malik, sweet, kind, energetic Malik, was a bundle of pure energy. Fashioned by the Master. Molded by the human world. Programmed by an angel he thought was his sister. Innocent Malik.

Dangerous Bakura. Who knew he had so much depth? And hate. Much more than Ryou could have possibly seen even if he still had his mind scanning eyes. Scanning could only read the surface. Bakura was not a surface.

Ryou ran after the dangerous angel of his nightmares. His skin flushed as his human flesh flew away, scraped off by the passing wind. He still hated the look of himself, white. Blindingly white. He was so… visible.

Bakura was dancing above, encircling a large tree while dodging attacks thrown by Jounouchi the White and Yugi the Sun. Malik was perched in a high branch never too far from Bakura's protective power. Malik's sister was crying at him from below, still clinging to her human form.

"Please, Malik, listen to me!" Ishizu called.

"No!" Malik screamed back. The chocolate cream tone of his human guise was rich in the afternoon sun and in the glow of Yugi's brilliant wings. "You've never been honest with me, ne-san. Why have you always avoided talking with me about my condition? Why have you never explained anything to me?"

"Malik, please, you don't understand," Ishizu implored. Her human form shrunk beneath the glare of so many other Higher Beings, zipping in flashes around the area.

"Of course I don't understand! You didn't tell me anything! Why are you with these people? Who are they? Why are you hurting Bakura?"

"Because he wants to hurt you!" Ishizu explained, striding gracefully towards the tree.

"Bakura would never do that!" Malik snapped, clinging to his branch.

"Wake up, kid!" Jounouchi shouted, spiraling around the tree and shooting rays of white lightening-fire at the sinister target above. "Bakura's the bad guy here. We're trying to rescue you, _duh_!" A second later a shadowy hand jumped up from the foliage below and dragged Jounouchi down into the bushes. Atemu, who was on the ground because he would do no good up in the air, dove after Jounouchi to wrestle with the shadowy hand.

"Are you not going to assist?"

Ryou turned to find Kaiba slumped against a tree, his head topped unstably on his shoulders. And yet his fearsome eyes locked onto Ryou, questioning him with all their might.

"Are you too afraid to face your old companion?" Kaiba sneered. But it was in a tired way. As though, and Ryou was just guessing, he couldn't do anything about it.

'Old companion?' Ryou pondered. He would hardly call last night old. These seconds old.

"I have no right to stop Bakura," Ryou said.

Kaiba scoffed. "Ridiculous. Don't you have a single will of your own?"

"Should you be talking, demon-fucker?" Bakura cursed as with a rush of air he glided lazily down to Kaiba's level. Without Jounouchi, he could easily hold off Yugi with half his mind on other things. "You hopeless helper of the Council, following every order, futilely hoping for a bone, a speck of respect," Bakura sneered, speeding around Kaiba's tree now and yet Ryou could hear everything he was saying. "Hashmallim-sama! Why do you think the Council sent down an angel of such high authority on such a rudimentary mission?"

Yugi answered by charging at Bakura, sunlight around his form sparking like diamonds.

Bakura dipped out of the way. "Think about it. They sent their soft dysfunctional commander, too weak for war, and the Tainted blotch on their clean hands. This wasn't a mission for you, Hashmallim-sama, Principality-san. It was a banishment, your death sentence. They only want to get their problems out of their asses, you two. You were both meant to be sacrifices to _me_."

A ray of hot white solar energy shot out of Yugi's hands, but once again it missed Bakura's clever maneuvers.

Jounouchi had emerged from the bushes, a bit roughed up, human twigs in his immortal hair. Then the blond shot back into the sky, right at Bakura's heart, which he missed. Atemu staggered into view, red hair tousled. Accidentally his crimson eyes flashed to Ryou, then twitched back away just as quick. Ryou could not read eyes anymore, they were all as blank as paper to him now.

Malik was still clinging fast to his tree, red-faced from shouting at his sister.

"Why are you with these people, ne-san?" Malik screamed. "How do you know about angels?"

"Know about them?" Bakura smashed a double attack into both Jounouchi and Yugi, multiple shadows jumping out from the trees, the very leaves themselves. And the black angel traitor drifted down to Malik's side, black metal wings massive, a shape that seemed to block out much more light than possible. And Bakura's toes curled around a thin branch, arms folded coolly. "Your sister has a secret of her own."

Ishizu flinched, but not even Bakura could stop her from reaching out to her brother. "Don't listen to him, please." Her voice was low with thick intensity; she was serious now. "Malik, please…"

Bakura was smirking. And he looked very dangerous, even if his attention was not on Ryou at the moment. "She's got very interesting eyes… knowledgeable. Ancient." And then he bent down at level with Malik. "Holy eyes."

A betrayed horror consumed Malik's fine-toned expression. "What's going on, ne-san?" Malik accused. "Who- what are you?"

Ishizu recoiled, but refused to step backward. "I am your sister," she stated.

"Hardly," Bakura snorted. Then with a vicious flick of a nail, Bakura shot a shadow at Ishizu, fast as a bullet.

"_NO_! Baku-" Malik, arms letting go of the branch beneath him, stopped in mid cry. Because the shadow Bakura had sent at Ishizu was repelled by a rush of sparkling wind.

Virtue Ishizu's angelic form was like her brother's human color, cinnamon, her wings like sand. Her eyes shown blue through the air.

Malik was stunned, rigid with surprise. "Ne-ne-san…?"

Bakura mildly touched his ear. "Very interesting."

"Malik," Ishizu inched forward, hands forward, pleading. "Malik, I am angel. But to you I have always been a sister. I have always loved you unconditionally."

Malik was still fighting off his astonishment. It was a struggle. Ryou could understand; he remembered when he had found out about Bakura being an angel…

Bakura straightened up again. "If you loved him so much why did you lie to him? Why didn't you tell him what you are? What _he_ is?"

Malik gazed up at Bakura, mesmerized. "What I am?" he repeated, hollow.

"Malik!" Ishizu screamed, trying to call her brother's attention again. "Do not trust him! His words are meant to twist your thoughts! Bakura is _not_ your friend!"

But Malik seemed immune to her pleas, too occupied with his own existence. Bakura took advantage of this confusion; he slung an arm around Malik's middle, picking him up out of the tree. Then before anyone could stop him, Bakura leapt up and up into the sky. Jounouchi and Yugi followed quickly behind him.

Atemu extended his ruby wings into the air, immediately running after the battle. Even Kaiba, on trembling sickened limbs, hobbled to his feet and stumbled towards the conflict.

Ishizu and Ryou were left behind.

"Ryou," that was Ishizu, her feet still on the ground. Her mighty head fixed on the sky, tracing her brother's escape.

Ryou did turn, for her.

"Ryou, I've heard about you," Ishizu said. "From Malik. He would tell me stories about Bakura, you, and him." Her eyes grew softer, which hadn't seemed possible before. "He loves you as much as he loves Bakura."

Ryou didn't have the heart to contradict her.

"You knew Bakura," Ishizu continued, and an awful naïve hope relaxed her tight mouth. "You were with the two of them. Malik will not listen to me, I have tried everything." She closed her shining eyes to hide her weakness. "Please, I think the only one who can save my brother now is you."

Ryou didn't agree. But it was his plan to try.

His throat was too thick to speak. So Ryou nodded and launched himself into the air, following Malik's sweet sweet smell. His new wings were smaller, more flexible than his old, massive, black ones.

The fight had moved to the soccer field.

White fire-lightening and the Sun against Bakura. All beautiful Bakura. Malik was completely unseen in his arms as Bakura moved in a blur of dark metal, feathers clicking and clattering as he flew.

Ishizu was right behind Ryou, soaring two feet above the grass, parallel to the ground. Her eyes were fixed on Bakura with a new murderous light. On his way to the battle field, Ryou passed Atemu trying to help a furious Kaiba, who's knees had collapsed. The Principality was trying too hard, it would have been better for him to stay where he was. But for all this Tainted angel's rationality, pride was the higher power in his heart, Ryou guessed.

Bakura paused in the air, fighting attacks from either side as he saw the rest of the team preparing to rejoin the battle. Then, as Ishizu jumped into the sky between Jounouchi and Yugi to help, Bakura dropped like a stone, straight for the ground.

Ryou knew this strategy. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. So he didn't warn Atemu, because the old Soldier demon must have known this was coming as well.

Bakura, plummeting toward the ground in a very convincing fall, peeled a shadow out of his hair and it spun like a lethal boomerang at the Kaiba-Atemu pair. The proceeding explosion echoed throughout the field, bouncing off the high walls of the school. The staff would be quite baffled and outraged when they found a crater in the middle of their field the next day.

Yugi screamed, blazing so bright the real sun dipped behind a cloud to hide. Jounouchi cried, "FUCK NO!" And the two of them dove for their loved ones.

Bakura rocketed himself back up into the sky, this time only pursued by Ishizu, the Helplessly Hopeful.

Yugi and Jounouchi landed on the same spot, clashing into each other to get at their lover first.

"Atemu? Atemu?" Yugi had the Soldier by the shoulders, on his Hashmallim knees.

Jounouchi crouched over Kaiba. "Yo! Hey! Bastard! Wake the _fuck_ up!"

In the air Ishizu wasn't doing too well, even through Malik's shouts of, "Don't kill her! Please Bakura!"

Ryou did nothing. Not yet. He had to wait. Not yet. Not yet.

With a cackle, Bakura struck his sole pursuer in the chest with a dark spell. Ishizu was so stunned by the attack that she dropped out of the air, landing with a sickening smack on the dirt.

Malik yelled, squirming in Bakura's hold. "No! I told you! Please, I don't care if she tricked me, don't kill her! Please! Please, Bakura! I'll do anything!"

Bakura scoffed, rotating Malik to look at him. "And? You know what I want. When are going to give it to me?"

"Don't, Malik!" Yugi screamed, cradling his unconscious Atemu.

"Hell no!" Jounouchi added, doing likewise to his Kaiba.

Ryou just stared up. His opportunity would come. Bakura would not expect it.

"Will you give me all of you now?" Bakura demanded. Not sweet. Just very very hungry.

"I don't know how!" Malik protested. "I don't know what's going on! Please, just tell me what to do!"

Bakura shrugged. "We'll try something."

Like the bubble of dread in Ryou's stomach, a shadow circle in Bakura's hand expanded, growing around the Black Angel and his copper prey like a shield. The pair were engulfed by the black sphere.

"_Malik_!" Ishizu fighting against the stunning spell shouted. But she was still grounded. She could do nothing. Yugi would not leave Atemu. Jounouchi could not abandon Kaiba. But Ryou could do something.

And now…

Ryou stretched out his nimble white wings and the free breezes of the human world took him up and up into the sky. He could hear nothing but wind, see nothing but clouds. It was exhilarating. Free. He fluttered toward that black ball of shadow. Hopefully, that mass of shadows would recognize their old master enough for Ryou to break through… His fingers outstretched, Ryou dove into the ball of shadow like a human diver into a pool.

The White Prince braced himself as his head went under.

All his senses clogged with darkness, Ryou managed to find what he was looking for, a sweet sweet arm of copper. He grabbed the treasure, snatched it out of the villain's clutches, and shot out the other side of the shadow ball, his loot in tow.

As soon as Malik emerged form the ball, he screamed. Not because he was two hundred or so feet from the ground, but because his T-shirt was ripped at the shoulder and there were deep pink fang marks on his exposed flesh where Bakura had attempted and failed to eat him. His cries echoed throughout the air and were answered by a roar from behind Ryou's vibrating wings.

They weren't going to make it to the ground; Ryou was certain of this even as he adjusted his grip on Malik's middle. His charge was shaking, muttering in terrified words, "H-he _bit_ me… He b-bit me…"

Then, like a sign or something, a white hot blaze of sunlight blasted over Ryou, pulsing as it hit the object that was chasing the white Prince to the ground.

As Ryou landed in an ungraceful tumbling roll, holding Malik's body in close, he saw Yugi and Ishizu were in the sky again. Atemu was in Yugi's arms but the Hashmallim seemed to be flying smarter, with the Soldier hissing strategic instructions in his ear. Jounouchi was still on the ground, leaning over Kaiba.

"Fuck," Jounouchi gasped. "You cannot be serious. I can't take _more_ from you."

Kaiba had awoken and there was a fistful of Jounouchi's hair in his hand as he forced the demon's head closer. "You're disappointing me, idiot. You are utilizing my powers poorly. It is despicable. I've got to do something about it."

Jounouchi groaned. "I can't fucking believe you." And then with an exasperated sigh, the demon released his fangs once again. "You're going to feel this tomorrow, you know that, right?"

"I am well aware," Kaiba admitted, bringing Jounouchi to his neck again for a second drink. So Jounouchi feed reluctantly. It was the most romantic thing Ryou had ever seen.

Meanwhile Malik was struggling to get out of his hold, pounding his fists on Ryou's arms "Get off! Get off of me!"

"Malik," Ryou spoke slowly, "My name is Ryou."

Malik looked up at him wildly. "Ryou? What- what- why? You're an angel too?"

Ryou released the confused boy and rolled onto his knees. "I am not an angel. I am a demon." And as proof he flapped his leathery pale wings once or twice.

Malik sat up on the dirt ground. "Oh… What's the difference?"

Ryou paused, for a second he couldn't remember. "Our wings?"

"What the hell is going on? Why are all these people and my _sister_ attacking Bakura?"

"Bakura wants to eat you," Ryou answered simply.

Malik was still confused. "Yeah. But _why_?"

Ryou hesitated, unsure about how to phrase it.

But Malik was impatient. "What am I?!" he shouted above the crashing of Higher Being powers above.

Ryou said, without breath, "You're power."

Malik fell backwards on his hands, the weight of confusion was too much. "What? Power-what?"

"You are a large collection of pure, uncontaminated energy," Ryou explained. "Your sister found you and brought you to the human world to keep safe-"

"The _human_ world-" Malik repeated, not comprehending the word at all. Unconsciously, his head was shaking side to side.

"Your sister really does love you," Ryou tried to make this sound important. "She rescued you. She let you exist."

But Malik was not paying attention to this. "I'm… not human. Is that what you're saying?"

"That's not important," Ryou told him quickly.

"Of course it's important!" Malik exploded, body jumping forward, "Y-_you're_ a demon- Bakura's a-an angel- my sister- and _I'm_ not human!"

"Listen," Ryou put a hand on his friend's shoulder and was glad when Malik didn't shake it off. "Bakura has a power. He can absorb any energy source nearby, that's why you felt so attracted to him. Pure energy _wants_ to change, it wants to be absorbed-"

"Are you saying," Malik interrupted, voice full of air as though barely formed, "Are you saying that I don't really love Bakura? Is that it?"

Ryou closed his mouth, realizing what a horrible blow this must have been to Malik. "Malik," Ryou wanted to reach out to him, "I don't doubt that you honestly love him, Malik. I too-"

"But if I'm just- just- energy, right? Attracted to Bakura…" Malik was facing the ground between his shoes, face screwed up with the concentration of trying to figure out this puzzle. "That's not really love, is it?"

Ryou took his hand away from Malik's shoulder. He meant to say, 'I think its real,' but it came out, "I think you're real."

Malik's body bowed forward, bending to Ryou. "But I'm not…"

"Does it feel like love?" Ryou asked, curious.

"I don't know what love feels like." Malik's voice was thick now, as though fighting tears. "I feel like I want to give him all of- everything. But that's just the energy isn't it?"

Ryou thought about this. Malik was, after all, like his core, pure. Pure emotion, pure intentions. And, Ryou suspected, like his core, Malik was very susceptible.

"I think that can be love," Ryou said, trying to be helpful. But who knew, really.

"If it is love," and Malik sat up now. And his eyes, like Ryou had suspected, were red with pain but refused to release a single tear. "If this is what love is like, I should give myself to him."

"No!" Ryou cried too quickly. "You'll die."

"I'm not alive to begin with!" Malik screamed back.

"You are as alive as I am," Ryou said firmly.

Malik was stunned. He sat back on the ground again.

"Besides," Ryou added. "If Bakura absorbs you it would be catastrophic."

Malik's eyes snapped back to Ryou. "What? Why?"

Ryou was glad he had gotten Malik's attention. "Bakura is mad with power, he-" Ryou gulped, and felt the guilt again. "There is a war, Malik. Between angels and demons. Bakura revealed himself to me, and I-" Ryou swallowed hard. "I captured him… _I_ captured him…" Ryou fought off his own depression. This wasn't the time!

Malik was still, absorbing all the information. "_Why_? You love him, right?" he asked, like a child.

"It's war, Malik," Ryou answered. "I did what I thought was right… but I was wrong, and I was punished. Bakura Turned himself on me." When Malik still looked confused, Ryou elaborated. "He drank my blood, took my power. Now I am practically useless. And now he wishes to grow in even more power."

"So why is my sister fighting him? She's an angel."

"Bakura's not on anyone's side," Ryou tried to explain. "And if he does get your power he will be practically unstoppable. He will be able to do whatever he wants."

"And?" Malik demanded.

Ryou was struck with confusion. "He would be… unstoppable."

Malik remained expectant. "And?"

Ryou thought about this. "Bakura could kill us all."

"Would he do that?" Malik asked curious and with a hint of disbelief. "Even you?"

Ryou shrugged. "I assume so." Now that he thought of it, would Bakura want to spare him? "Don't you want to live?" Ryou questioned, changing the subject.

Malik shrunk backwards, turning almost meek. "Yes, of course I do. But if it's inevitable…" Malik reasoned but with a grim air. "And this… love, these urges that I have for Bakura, they're strong. I _want_ to give myself to him."

Ryou could understand urges. But Malik didn't have to die. _He_ didn't have to be the sacrifice. He was innocent. He deserved to live too. If Bakura went away, if all high energy sources were removed from Malik's life, the guy would be ok. Practically human. "Bakura became strong once before," Ryou explained. "He was tracked down and murdered by both Heaven and Hell because he was too strong to live."

Malik was aflame with injustice. "That's awful!"

"Bakura was killing thousands of angels and demons," Ryou pointed out.

Malik considered this, but very briefly. "And that gives you the right to take his life _now_?"

Ryou had not exactly expected this. "We don't want to kill Bakura. We want to cleanse him. Take his power away…"

Malik's face blazed with indignant stubbornness. "So you're going to make him useless? Take away his _freedom_? How do you know what he'll do with more power? How do you know he'll kill everybody? Maybe Bakura just wants to _live_!"

Ryou tried, he honestly did try, to find a good argument for this, but he couldn't. The only thing Ryou knew now was that he wouldn't let Malik be taken away like this. Nothing else at the moment mattered.

But their conversation was cut short as with a dark flash as Jounouchi smashed into the ground. Kaiba the Proud, lifeless just a moment ago, pulled himself with his very fingernails over to his lover. A second later, Yugi spiraled to the earth as well, smoking in a protective ball around Atemu. Ryou didn't hear Ishizu hit the ground but assumed that it had happened when a vast shadow overtook them.

A cold hand grabbed Ryou's neck and raised him up off the ground, blinding white wings and all.

Malik cried, "No! Bakura, please. Don't. Not Ryou, not Ryou…"

It was a good thing Ryou was no longer human and no longer need to breathe, since he was sure Bakura had closed off his windpipe. But it still hurt, a lot. Tainted metal against Bleached cloth.

And Bakura's teeth were still super white.

"You've become a nuisance, Yadonushi," Bakura commented. "I didn't expect it."

Ryou would have shrugged but it hurt too much.

Meanwhile Malik was still pleading. "You can have me! Just don't hurt Ryou."

"Easy to say," Bakura reminded his charge with a dangerous edge. Ryou loved that tone. Bakura's head tilted to the side, examining Ryou, looking in his eyes, surely.

'Don't kill Malik. He's too sweet for that…' Ryou thought as loudly as he could.

"Yes," Bakura responded out loud. "I always thought he was sweet. Almost cloy."

'How could you not guess what he was when you knew he was so sweet?'

Bakura was immovable. "I don't much like sweet things. I prefer…" he paused, lips parting as his head tilted a bit more, eyes shifting to Ryou's neck, "A bit of spice."

Ryou resisted the humanness of his soul, morphing his thoughts back to Malik.

Bakura's face lost the playfulness, whatever amount had been there before. "Yadonushi. You are selfish. Stop trying to be the martyr, it's not your place in this scene."

Ryou choked in his urgency to communicate.

Bakura squeezed Ryou's throat in a warning. "You are no replacement. You have no replacement."

It was almost kind of the Black Angel. But harmless milky tears blurred Ryou's vision. If only he could save Malik... it was his fault. His fault…

Bakura released him, and Ryou's back would have slammed into the ground if Malik hadn't caught him.

"I'm sick of your whining," Bakura snarled at Ryou, looking more murderous by the second. "Let's go Malik."

Malik nodded obediently, and began to lower Ryou to the ground.

"_No_!" Ryou croaked, struggling. He wasn't giving up, he wasn't giving up!

He didn't have the control of shadows anymore but still he had to have something! Ryou's hand went uncontrollably hot, _hot_. And he grabbed for Bakura's blue-gray chest. When his hand hit its mark on the Tainted angel, Ryou released his exploding power, the heat in his limb and the blood in his brain burst. The ricochet made him dizzy.

Before he got his consciousness back, there was a blow to his temple that squeezed black sparkling dust into his eyeballs. There was a cry from Malik but it was blown out of Ryou's head as Bakura brought him back up with the grip of his shadows, shadows that, with the sheer weight of Bakura's outrage, no longer recognized their old master. It didn't matter that Ryou's attack had done next to nothing to Bakura's body. The simple fact that Ryou had even tried to attack him…

He had betrayed Bakura again. Now, truly, surely Ryou was dead. Now Bakura would have no choice to destroy him…

"You go too far," Bakura hissed, teeth at Ryou's ear. "Do you desire death _that_ much, Yadonushi?"

'More than I desire you? No, not that much. But if it will save Malik…'

"You think dying will save Malik? You think saving Malik will atone your guilt? You foolish, selfish prick," Bakura spat.

The shadows shrunk, crushing Ryou. And the pain made the White Prince screamed. Malik's cries of, "Please! Bakura don't hurt Ryou!" were totally unheard.

"No more of this nonsense," Bakura commanded as he caressed Ryou's chin with a chilling hand. "I will grant your _dying_ wish, Yadonushi."

Though no one was listening, Malik screamed, "No! _Please_, Bakura! _NO_!"

Ryou was dead. He knew it. His eyes closed anticipating the blow. This would all be over soon.

But then there was light.

A very strong light. So strong it hurt…? Ryou opened his eyes, and he noticed how the shadows that had been binding him were suddenly gone. Somehow there was light everywhere… and there was no more pain.

The source was standing above him like… like…

It was Malik. But it wasn't really. His human, mortal body had turned into glass. And his eyes… His eyes… They were lilac. Malik was colors and beauty.

Bakura couldn't have looked smugger. His smirk was vicious as the shadows abandoned Ryou and Bakura's hands closed over Malik's shoulders. "That's more like it," he hummed. His face was becoming sharper, more… evil with desire.

"Malik…" Ryou moaned. Although Malik had taken his pain away, Ryou could not seem to pull himself from the ground. He could not get up to save the glittering Malik.

With all his colors echoing inside his mouth, Malik smiled, smiled down at Ryou and through his transparent glossy lips he seemed really, truly happy for that moment.

"_It's ok, Ryou. I'm ok."_

What a tragedy that such a beautiful thing had to die like this. By Bakura. And Ryou could not stop it. The shining Malik gazed at him and Ryou instantaneously felt his chest fill with warmth.

"_Don't be sad. I wouldn't want you to be sad for me. I'm just going to help Bakura, that's all. Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise."_

Contrary to the warmth writhing in Ryou's insides, he couldn't believe Malik at this point. Not when the dead spoke to him so… happily.

'Do you even have a soul?' Ryou asked soundlessly, his mouth unable to move. 'Where will you go after all of this?'

But Malik had made his decision, so he turned and leaned up into Bakura's twisted face, always smiling. _"I can give myself to you now."_

Bakura snapped an arm around Malik's waist. "Then give it."

Malik accepted this rough order. And he leaned on the tips of his toes to kiss Bakura's mouth…

The world turned into a vacuum. Everything that seemed once good and colorful was sucked right out the air, right out of the lungs leaving a raw residue. As with a snap of atmosphere and a pop in his ears, the world around Ryou vanished and was replaced by one that was gray.

He was still on the ground as Malik's form melted into Bakura, as his glassy light drifted away. It had taken Malik barely two seconds to disappear from existence, from every realm except memory.

Above the scene stood one more obstacle. Bakura. He was the only one who had remained standing during the entire shockwave. He was not glittering. He did not, in fact, look any different then the Bakura of a few seconds before.

The human soccer field was full of silence. Yugi, Atemu, Jounouchi, Kaiba, and Ishizu's lungs all hesitated, throats tight. All waiting…

The first to breathe was Bakura. His face drifted upwards, towards the sky, looking up and up and up…

At the clouds?

That's when his knees broke from under him.

Surprised echoed in every face around the human soccer field, Yugi and Atemu turned to each other in astonishment. Kaiba and Jounouchi was stunned froze, Ishizu rigid with disbelief.

Ryou had closed his mouth as he examined the shaking Bakura. The Black Angel's whole body was trembling as he crumbled into a ball.

No one, except the shivering Bakura, moved for a moment. Then Atemu stood, holding onto Yugi's small hand. The Soldier of Hell had a hard contemplating look on his face.

"What the Hell happened?" Jounouchi questioned, voice small.

Kaiba glared to silence his impudent lover.

Yugi rose to stand beside Atemu, still clutching his hand.

"Ryou…" Atemu urged, attention fixed on Bakura.

Ryou crawled over to Bakura and, not hesitating, because there was no point now, put a pale hand on the Black Angel's back, the spot between the joints of his black metal wings.

Bakura twitched under Ryou's fingers.

Ryou was scared to death. But this was something no one else could do. "Bakura?"

In a flash Bakura's arms shot out from under him and grabbed Ryou's shoulders so hard that Ryou was certain he was going to be dragged under… but no, Bakura just held him, pulling him closer so that Bakura head was in Ryou's chest.

Then Ryou realized that Bakura was gasping, breathing, although he knew he didn't need air. A human mistake.

And Ryou felt the build up of power before it actually happened. Bakura screamed and that anguished cry ripped through Ryou, hurting his soul. The sound morphed into a ring of raw power blasted in all directions. Jounouchi jumped in front of Kaiba and two of them were protected well enough, Yugi managed to erected a shield around Ishizu, Atemu, and himself. But Ryou was hit by the scream at point blank range, right in the stomach. And the pain was pretty bad, it almost shook Ryou right out of conscious thought but he held onto Bakura, fighting his blinking vision.

As Bakura's scream bounced off distant human structures, the power fizzed out into mist. Warmth rose in Ryou's throat and coated his tongue with his own blood; drops of the crimson stuff oozed sticky warmth down his chin before falling artistically into Bakura's white hair.

Meanwhile Bakura's body was still echoing with the rough gulps, trying to push air down into unfertile lungs that did not care for oxygen. But Bakura had forgotten about that.

"That… bastard… that… _bastard_…" the Black Angel panted.

On impulse, Ryou stroked Bakura's tangled hair smearing the blood into pink smudges. It didn't really seem to help Bakura but it distracted Ryou well enough.

"That… _bastard_… that bastard tricked… bastard _tricked_ me…"

Ryou thought he was hallucinating when he caught a glimpse of Bakura's eyes and saw that they were crowded with silver. But he must have been wrong.

* * *

…)(-)(Desolation)-(-)(…

* * *

Yes. I know. Malik is made of rainbows. *cough*_gay_*cough* Ha ha. Ryou was so insane during this whole scene. Why is he so insane?

YAY FOR THE CLIMAX!! Exciting, ne?

So who's up for an epilogue? Anyone? That's ok. It will be coming whether you like it or not in two weeks. :p

NEXT CHAPTER!: There will be no crumpets or scones or three part harmonies of "You are the Wind Beneath my Wings". (sadly) However, there will be lots of other sweet stuff. Hopefully everything will be answered and if not, well, suck it like a juice box.

LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Now it is time: **REVIEW!!**

REMEMBER: next chapter is last one. Try not to cry too much.

**REVIEW!**


	30. Absolution

THIS IS THE LAST LAST LAST CHAPTER!!! It's been a good run but this isn't the first last chapter I've ever had and it… might not be the last…?

Its been like... 60 days since my last update... ff . net can tell. Oops. Man, this has been gestating for a while. This needed to go up a while ago but it didn't because of technical difficulties. Seriously. My computer was possessed by Satan (A.K.A. super-monster-virus-that-eats-my-laptop). It still a little possessed but thanks to some very helpful friends I managed to get rid of most of the demons.

Reminder: Ni-sama=older brother

Ok. It's been good. I love you guys. (TEARS) God, I said I wouldn't cry…

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Chyaputa 30: Absolution

1. The act of absolving; a freeing from blame or guilt; release from consequences, obligations, or penalties

2. A remission of sin or of the punishment for sin, made by a priest in the sacrament of penance on the ground of authority received from Christ.

3. A declaration or assurance of divine forgiveness to penitent believers, made after confession

* * *

"I cannot reason why you would want me here," said Ishizu. Her modest human form sat as formally as ever, although her ankles were now crossed in a weak way. Atemu, Kaiba, and Ryou had met her in a café a block away from her human shelter. It was the perhaps the first time she had left her house since the incident. Why Ryou had chosen to attend this meeting Kaiba neither knew nor cared. It was most likely due to Atemu's inappropriate heart.

The solemn woman who they had all come to see had lost most of her previous pride. Kaiba had predicted that she might be less enthusiastic about meeting them after her brother died, if dying was the most accurate term for the disassembly of a power source.

"I do not know what I can do for your group now that we are all fugitives of our respectful realms. I do not have the strength nor, I must admit, the will to fight anymore battles. I don't have much to live for," the woman announced without even a prompt; she was certainly less impressive now than she had been when Kaiba had first evaluated her.

"You cannot give up so easily, Ishizu-san. There are many things that you can achieve. That is why we're here." Atemu turned to Kaiba with ill-placed authority, signaling him to speak. Kaiba, obviously, did not, nor did he ever, need Atemu's permission to speak.

"We have a business proposition for you," Kaiba broached.

Ishizu was startled, like a witless female, which she was. "I do not understand."

Atemu leaned forward; he was going to address her weak points first, then Kaiba would come in with the details of the plan. "If you help us, we can save many more souls from persecution."

Ishizu, once a Virtue of the State of Heaven and now a lost, will-less pretend-human figure, was unmoved. "How do you mean?"

Atemu had enough determination to fill the room. "By letting more angels and demons live in the human world, where they can be free to live out their lives, away from that idiotic war and corrupt oppression."

The woman seemed appalled for a moment. "You are not serious. You're planning to open an illegal railway, _two_ illegal railways, so that demons can escape from hell and angels can escape from heaven and they can all live in harmony, with _humans_? And you think you can manage it?"

It was Kaiba's turn. "It's simple enough. I have the resources to develop new identities for all of our travelers, and Atemu has several underground contacts in Hell that will spread the word."

"The only problem," Atemu added, in his eagerness stepping on Kaiba's toes, "Is that we have no contacts in Heaven as of yet. Kaiba has spent most of his years in the human world and has very little contact with Dirty Organizations. However you must have used those resources when you moved down here with…" Atemu hesitated; the rest of the sentence was obvious.

"My brother," Ishizu finished, with an obvious edge.

"Imagine it, Ishizu-san," Atemu continued, in that hopeful pathetic way. "A whole society of angels and demons, protecting each other. This is the start of the peace we're creating."

The woman, however, was not impressed; her depression had sunk to impossible levels. "Communities like these have been attempted before. The State and the Kingdom found them and slaughtered the lot of them. I know. I've been a part of that hunting party."

"As have I," Atemu argued.

Kaiba smirked, now that they had the woman stunned.

"Ishizu, do you not want others to have what you and Malik had, no matter how short it was?" Kaiba demanded.

"And why did you, a man who does not care much for others, agree to this scheme, Kaiba?" Ishizu asked.

"I do not appreciate being used," Kaiba answered; he attempted not to let his thirst for vengeance reveal itself through his words.

Ishizu was fixated on the table; her hands in tight fists at her sides.

Ryou spoke, which was unexpected. "I think it's a good plan."

Of course Ryou would like the plan, he was soft. Like Atemu and Yugi were soft. Like Jounouchi was soft, but he was an idiot so he had an excuse.

Ishizu reacted to Ryou, as Kaiba had expected. She was becoming emotional for a woman who was prone to show none.

Ryou looked up at the ceiling, a normal mannerism for him. "I think Malik would like it."

"Are you invested in this plot as well?" Ishizu asked.

"No," Ryou replied. "I was not invited."

Atemu was immovable. Kaiba smirked at the kid's daring, to slight Atemu so effectively.

"I have come to deliver a message to you," Ryou explained and handed Ishizu a plain envelope. When she took it, Ryou added, "Don't ask where it came from."

Apprehensive, Ishizu opened the envelope. As she read the letter a look of panic affected her features. After several moments she stood. "_Where_- where did you get _this_?" Ishizu was not angry, but scared.

Ryou gazed at the ceiling, then, as calmly as possible, rose from his chair as well. "I couldn't say." He bowed his head. "If you would excuse me, I think it would be best if I left now." And then without another word, Ryou departed from the restaurant.

Atemu watched him leave, Kaiba noticed. When the door had closed, Atemu's attention was back on Ishizu.

"Will you help us, Ishizu?" Atemu asked, returning to the necessary material.

The woman was still standing but after a moment she lowered herself again, as delicately as possible. The paper in her clenched hand was wrinkled.

She cleared her throat. "I suppose I could assist you."

Ryou had convinced her, Kaiba was certain. He did not complain, this meant he could fully exercise his revenge on the Council and the State, after centuries of oppression; Kaiba burned with anticipation.

Before the three of them began to discuss details of the plan, Kaiba saw Ishizu fold up the letter Ryou had given her precisely on the corners and tuck it into her inner pocket, the one closest to her heart. It was disgustingly sentimental.

…)(-)-(Absolution)-(-)(…

"_Hey_!" Jounouchi cried, slamming the door open. "What you doing in here? This is _my_ room, kid!"

Mokuba, flapping his wings inexpertly, jumped on the bed. "As if. This has always been my room whenever I visit ni-sama in the human world."

Jounouchi dove over the bed at the child and missed him by inches. "Yeah, but now I'm here and I'm bigger so what I say goes, runt-Mc-runt."

Mokuba stuck out his tongue. "I'll tell my brother you hit me. He'll kick you out for that!"

Brat. Where had he learned to disrespect his elders like this? Oh yeah, that pretentious brother of his. So Jounouchi picked the little demon-angel up by the joint of his wings, dangling the boy in the air. "Too bad for you, Kaiba likes me better."

"Does not!"

"Oh _yeah_?" Jounouchi barred his teeth in a crooked smile. "When you can provide all the services that I do for Kaiba, _then_ we'll talk."

"What services?" Mokuba pouted.

If Kaiba's story of his childhood was true, then Mokuba was as old as his "brother". Perhaps the experiments in Mokuba's early Turning had stunted his growth… Mokuba was a child, in mind as well as body. Did Kaiba teach this guy anything?

"What twisted thoughts are you putting into my little brother's mind?"

Jounouchi dropped the kid. "Ah, you're back."

"Does Jounouchi do your laundry?" Mokuba asked, picking himself off the floor.

Kaiba, in a blue human business suit, ignored the question. "Unfortunately, you're going to have to leave for a moment, Mokuba."

Shit. Jounouchi was in trouble now. Kaiba's blue eyes told him that.

"He better not be getting my room," Mokuba said.

"He won't," Kaiba assured his charge. "Out. And practice your human form."

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "More grown-up talk." He leapt from the bed and by the time he got to the doorway his wings had shrunk into his back. "I don't even wanna know."

Jounouchi coughed. Yeah _right_.

Kaiba snapped the door shut, then for extra measure wrapped his knuckles on the wall so black sparks danced in the corners of the room.

"Sound-blocking spell?" Jounouchi asked. "What do you expect to happen in this room? Something you don't want your brother to hear, eh, _Kaiba_?"

"The meeting went well," Kaiba said, skipping over Jounouchi's sexy talk. "She agreed."

"Really? I seem to remember you saying she wouldn't. That this was all a futile bother or something." Jounouchi lay back on the bed, maybe Kaiba would get the hint… "Doesn't that make the _mighty_ Kaiba wrong?"

"Ryou came," Kaiba answered.

Jounouchi felt his jaw drop. He sat up. "Wha- how was he? Bakura wasn't… right?"

"If your rambling translates to the question as to whether Bakura was present, the answer is no," Kaiba said smoothly. "I don't know how Ryou knew about the meeting. Atemu certainly didn't contact him."

"Bet it was Yugi," Jounouchi suggested. The guys shared a sentimental bond. "Hell, how long's it been? Six human months since we've heard from either of those two? I thought Bakura would have killed Ryou by now, or maybe the whole State of Heaven fleet or something."

"Ryou appeared in good health," Kaiba answered. "Bakura's too cowardly to show his face in public again."

Jounouchi shrugged. "Shouldn't we be too afraid to face _him_?"

Kaiba grunted in an uninterested way.

"So…" Jounouchi bit his lip. "Do I get this room?"

"No," Kaiba asked.

Jounouchi stuck his tongue out. He had learned that from the kid. "Why?"

"It's Mokuba's," Kaiba answered simply.

"Yeah…" Jounouchi said, "But it's the second biggest room in the house and I thought maybe… well…"

Kaiba looked at his blond boyfriend. "Relax, I have situated your living arrangements to a more proper location."

Jounouchi had no clue what that meant, only… "So… you want me to live here?"

"As you may recall, you have been living here for the last couple of months."

"Yeah, but, I didn't…" Jounouchi twiddled his thumbs. "You know, I didn't want to assume it was permanent or anything."

"And why not?" Kaiba asked. Oh what a clever guy, face turned away as though Jounouchi wasn't freaking himself out enough.

"Didn't want to…" Hell, he was going to have to say it, wasn't he? "You know, get my hopes up…"

Kaiba stopped. Jounouchi didn't turn to look at the expression on his face. But he heard the snort of laughter. "Have you been worried that you might be abandoned this whole time, idiot?"

"Fuck you," Jounouchi mumbled. Now he was a little pissed…

Kaiba grinned, a demonic grin. "I didn't know I made you so nervous."

"You certainly never told me to stay," Jounouchi snapped, shifting away.

"Stay."

Jounouchi choked.

That bastard had a way with words.

Kaiba waited for his answer.

Jounouchi swallowed. "Duh. Of course I'm staying."

The mattress of the bed bent. Jounouchi was facing away from his lover so he didn't know how Kaiba had advanced toward him.

"Not like I have anywhere else to go," Jounouchi added.

And a cool hand scooped Jounouchi's head right around and Kaiba, in a strange fit of non-Kaiba-ness, placed a soft kiss on his mouth as though to seal the deal.

Jounouchi fought to pull himself away. "What are you doing, bastard?"

Passionate kisses were good, all focused on the feeling and the sex to come. When Kaiba kissed him like _that_… just to be _sweet_, for some reason it was just felt so embarrassing.

Kaiba, being the evil mastermind that he was, knew what he was doing to Jounouchi and graciously changed the subject. "How did the Kingdom take your abandonment?"

"I don't know. Haven't exactly been back there, have I?" Jounouchi felt it was safe to face Kaiba now that the heat in his face had gone down. "You?"

"As you can see by our relocation, I've had to abandon my castle in Heaven, and my human company entirely," Kaiba explained practically. "This place is only safe because I purchased it without the State of Heaven's knowledge."

"But we can still get to Heaven right?" Jounouchi asked. "We'll need to for the railroad."

"If I had relied solely on the State for everything, I would have truly been a dog," Kaiba said. His expression went blank but his eyes… Jounouchi was probably the only one who would have noticed.

"Come on, you were never _that_ bad," Jounouchi said. "You're fighting them now, aren't you?"

"Obviously," Kaiba grunted, trying his best to brush off his weakness.

Embarrassment jumped back into Jounouchi's gut. He knew what it was now. It was when Kaiba was being… human that made Jounouchi uncomfortable. Weak, unprideful, if that was a word. Kaiba wasn't like that with anyone else. Only Jounouchi.

"Being Turned's hard, ain't it?" Jounouchi said. And he scooted closer to Kaiba to put an arm across the Tainted angel's back. "And you had it better than I did. Your government wanted you for your smarts at least. The Kingdom never had much to do with me."

Kaiba said nothing, but he leaned into Jounouchi arm.

Jounouchi took that as a sign of encouragement. "You didn't accept mediocre existence. Cause you had Mokuba to protect."

"Yes," Kaiba bit his words. "Because I had Mokuba, I did whatever they told me without question so I could gather the resources to hide him."

Jounouchi perched his chin on Kaiba's shoulder. "That's another thing. Mokuba's your age right? I mean, if what you told me is true."

"What about it?"

"Well, I'm just saying if Mokuba's going to live here, in the human world, you'd better let him know what you're getting him into."

Kaiba's mouth tightened. "And what exactly am I getting him into?"

Jounouchi shrugged. "Human stuff. Like… you know, how human cities work, systems, human body stuff..."

"Human body stuff?" Kaiba turned so swiftly he dislodged the blond from his shoulder. "What do you expect Mokuba to be doing?"

"Um… I don't know, maybe _living_," Jounouchi suggested. "Come on, you can't expect him to stay in this house all day can you? He doesn't want this room that much."

"And you expect him to be like you? Go to human parties, drink mortal drugs, and sex up?" Kaiba questioned.

"_Woah_!" Jounouchi cried. "First off, _you_ were there right along with me. Secondly, you could tell him about those things _before_ he goes out and does them!"

"Mokuba can't even hold his human skin properly," Kaiba said.

"Give him a break," Jounouchi snapped. "Mokuba's smart. He'll learn. I'm not talking about bringing him to a bar tonight or anything. But… don't you think he should go to school at least?"

Kaiba's expression went grim. "Mokuba's not like other Higher Being's. His body is not as stable. He wouldn't survive school."

"And so you would have him survive in an enclosed space? Just as Hell does to Bleached persons? Just as Heaven did to you-"

Jounouchi choked when Kaiba grabbed his jaw with an open hand, his palm over the blond's mouth. "That's enough. I get the point." But he did not release Jounouchi's face. "You never stop do you?"

Jounouchi tried to grin but his muscles were constricted by Kaiba's fingers.

"You think you know how to raise my brother?" Kaiba asked, leaning in. Their bodies were close. "Who do you think you are?"

Jounouchi worked his mouth open. "Your most precious person in the entire cosmos."

Kaiba scoffed. "Perhaps."

And he did one of those slow soft kisses again. Jounouchi tried to stay as still as stone, but didn't last long as he crumbled into Kaiba's arms. Hell, this was nothing like their usual nights, all biting and squeezing. No, this time Jounouchi could breathe, smell. Heat climbed from Kaiba's human shell onto Jounouchi's mortal skin. Tiny movements. Kaiba had found his hands. So warm. No blood now. Just human sensations…

"What are you two doing?"

Their gentle moment broke. Kaiba shoved Jounouchi away so hard that he was knocked to the floor.

Mokuba had stuck his head into the room, wild black hair tumbling passed his shoulders.

"_Every_ time…" Jounouchi grumbled.

"How did you get the door open?" Kaiba asked crossing his arms into his big-papa-Kaiba-mode.

Mokuba rolled his eyes. "Please, ni-sama, I figured out that sound-blocking spell like six months ago."

"Told you he was smart," Jounouchi hummed, getting back on his feet.

"Is that a human thing?" Mokuba asked, eyes squinting in disgust. "Mouth-touching and stuff? Doesn't seem like much fun. Wouldn't it be hard to talk?"

Jounouchi couldn't help it. He broke out in laughter.

Kaiba's back got stiff. "Later, Mokuba."

The kid leaned against the wall. "Do all humans have to do that? Cause that's gross."

"Good." Kaiba stood up from the bed. "Keep that train of thought."

Jounouchi ruffled Mokuba's hair. "By the way, you got a horn sticking out."

"Oops." Mokuba pushed the demon horn back into his skull.

"Come with me," Kaiba tugged Jounouchi's arm. "I'll show you to your room."

"Ooo, bet it's got a pool," Jounouchi teased at the kid.

Mokuba responded by sticking his tongue out again. Weren't children wonderful?

And at that moment, Jounouchi realized that with him, Kaiba, and the kid living together in this big house in the human world, they was kinda like a mortal family. Mokuba was their child. Then… if Kaiba was the dad… did that mean Jounouchi was the…?

"So where are you taking me?" Jounouchi asked as he was lead down the fancy mansion corridor.

"To your new room," Kaiba answered. "I'm sure you'll like it."

Jounouchi grinned. "Why is that?"

Kaiba ran a hand up Jounouchi neck. "It's connected to mine."

Jounouchi swallowed. "Ah."

The soft kisses were over. Time for daddy and mommy to get dirty.

…)(-)-(Absolution)-(-)(…

"Have you settled yet?" The image of Kaiba on the screen flickered.

Atemu looked out the window of his mothy carriage. "Almost." The slums of Hell's second largest city rattled by. The carriage had a sound spell for the rider's privacy, so the goblin driver could not eavesdrop on Atemu's communication with his trans-world device. Kaiba had made it so they could keep track of each other while Yugi and Atemu made plans in Hell. While Atemu had gone back to the human world to talk with Ishizu, Yugi had stayed behind. It wasn't good for him to move around, especially being a high powered Hashmallim hiding out in Hell. It was better for him to stay put. Even if that meant they had to be separated for a time.

"Atemu," Kaiba was serious as always. How Jounouchi, being such a cheerful person, could live with him, Atmeu had no idea. "We still need more conductors if we are going to fashion this railroad. You can direct them, but we'll need more demons if we're going to protect the passengers properly. Jounouchi would draw too much attention."

"What are you trying to say?" Jounouchi's voice sounded somewhere over Kaiba's shoulder.

Kaiba didn't even turn around to respond. "I was referring to your Bleached state."

"Oh." The screen shook before Jounouchi's beaming face appeared upside-down in its frame. "Hey Atemu!"

Atemu waved half-heartedly. "Hello."

"You seen Yugi yet?"

Atemu's stomach jumped. "Not yet." But he would soon…

The screen shook again. Kaiba came into focus. "It's your job to find other demons that will join our cause."

"I have some people in mind," Atemu said. He was almost home now. Almost to…

"Atemu," Kaiba said his name again. Even across space and time, Kaiba's eyes grabbed his. "We have Ishizu now, but we'll still need a bodyguard for the angels."

Atemu's jaw tightened. "I understand, Kaiba."

"We need un-Tainted angels that can hold off the State of Heaven's fleet," Kaiba continued.

"_Kaiba_," and this time Atemu's voice broke beyond his control. "I understand."

"Leave him alone," Jounouchi urged somewhere in the background. "Atemu's not stupid."

That's right… Atemu wasn't stupid.

Kaiba frowned, folding his arms. "Right. We will talk later."

Atemu nodded. His jaw was too tight for speech.

The screen in his hands flickered and went blank.

Atemu couldn't think about that now, although he knew he should. All he could think about was Yugi. Yugi. How Yugi had been by himself with no one to talk to for two human weeks while Atemu traveled between worlds. Going to and from Hell, especially using the shady roots was a long and tiring process. How close was Yugi now? Was he ok? Had he been discovered by the Kingdom of Hell's forces?

The carriage couldn't stop fast enough. If Atemu had had a heart at that moment it would have been pounding. He leapt from his seat, grabbed his bag, and paid the driver in a single motion. Then he rapped on the door of the hellish apartment. Two taps, pause three taps, pause, repeat the pattern. Atemu had cycled through it three times.

"Yugi?" he called out, straining to keep his voice low. He must not panic and draw attention to himself. "Yug-"

The door burst open, and Atemu plunged himself inside.

Cream-colored arms were around his neck within seconds. Falling back on the door was all Atemu could do to close it; his hands were too busy catching the angel that had flung itself at him. Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Atemu breathed Yugi's kisses in like oxygen to human lungs.

Their mouths broke apart in the fumble. Somehow, Yugi gasped, "T-the protection spells."

Atemu was too flustered. He couldn't believe he had forgot. "R-right." It took all his will to turn away from Yugi and reset the protection spells so Yugi's angelic signature would not be discovered. He forced his fingers to slow down; they couldn't afford to make a mistake now. On either side of his vision, Yugi's enormous glowing angel wings were sprawled out on too narrow sides of the entryway. The white feathers were shivering. From lack of use? From limited space? From anticipation?

The spells flashed into place, locked and ready. Atemu wasn't sure who had spun him around but Yugi was there and in his arms, or it was better to say he was in Yugi's arms, for Yugi's feathers surrounded them in that cramped space.

Atemu and Yugi kissed like they were one Being. It was so unpolite and sloppy, Atemu was sure later he would feel the embarrassment. But not now. He had missed Yugi too much. And this was his way of communicating the sorrow he had felt during these past two weeks.

Yugi broke their mouths apart again. "Let's get somewhere we can move a little at least…"

Atemu couldn't find the words. He simply let Yugi carry him into the main room, and place him on the couch. Their movements slowed. Yugi's eyes lit his round face, his tiny mouth… Atemu took that mouth, tasted it. Yugi's fingertips rolled up Atemu's chest. Atemu was so distracted by Yugi's hands that he lost his grip of his boyfriend's lips. And their eyes swam with each other has Yugi's fingers reached Atemu's neck…

For a demon, a blood sucking creature, this was…

Atemu rolled back without even thinking about it. And Yugi was shining so bright that objects around the room were starting to float on there own. Atemu was hypnotized by Yugi's small fingers, making paths across his skin. Atemu's mouth stretched open. No! _No_. This was not safe…

"Yugi…" Atemu's eyes were rolling back in his head. "You… we shouldn't…"

Yugi leaned down in response and he released a puff of angelic breath that encircled Atemu's defenseless throat… veins, _blood_, millimeters beneath a shred of skin. Atemu's was shocked with anticipation.

"Sorry…" Yugi laid himself on top Atemu, giant wings and all, enclosing the demon, his feet with human world sneakers wavering in the air. His face in the soft tissues of Atemu's neck. "I just… missed you."

Atemu couldn't take it. He was no Ryou, someone who easily lost control of their senses, but with Yugi twisting on top of him…

Atemu found Yugi's shoulders, the back of his neck. "Missed wouldn't cover it."

Mouth parted, Yugi's lips tickled Atemu's neck. Atemu's limbs spasmed, his demonic self was rising, his skin hot. His claws and fangs grew. Atemu's brain was burning with the chemicals. Until Yugi planted a kiss on Atemu's throat…

_Snap_. Then, and Atemu wasn't exactly sure how, with a fury of heat and toxic emotions, Atemu had Yugi beneath him. And even though the boy was far stronger than him Yugi's body was limp, his wings splattered to either side, loose feather scattering. With Yugi's mouth still parted, his appearance tumbled, and so so submissive…

Atemu was already at his lover's throat. "Yugi…" Such a tiny tiny, thin throat. And when Atemu squeezed Yugi's neck, holding the skin, he felt the blood pulsing beneath his palm, hot, moving. "This could be bad."

Atemu felt Yugi swallow in response. "I'm not afraid."

"Afraid of what?" Atemu asked. Though they knew. And Atemu's jaw unhooked itself in readiness.

Yugi tensed. "I don't mind…"

"It's going to hurt," Atemu said. "A lot." Soft soft neck…

Yugi bit his lip. "If it's for you…"

Heat shuddered in Atemu's mind. Demon, demon heat and core with beating hurt. God, who was he? What was this? Atemu really was getting carried away now. This wasn't like him at all. He didn't like this, who he was now…

"I want to taste you," Atemu growled grasping at Yugi's shoulders, jaw, vertebra, "I want to…"

Yugi was so supportive. "I know."

Atemu's limbs spasmed again. "I don't think I can control it anymore, Yugi."

Yugi braced himself. "I know. I want you too, Atemu."

That was it that was all he needed. There was an explosion of sadistic lust, he could see Yugi's blood…

And then the spasm was all over. And Yugi's neck was left flawless and untouched. Atemu had not given into his desires. And Atemu felt his fangs shrinking.

Yugi relaxed. His pink cheeks puffed. "I really thought it was going to happen that time."

Atemu couldn't take it, he rolled off Yugi onto the floor. Dejected. "It almost did." And HELL how he wished it had. His system was still pumping the demonic chemicals. His mouth hurt, it ached with lack of moisture.

Yugi flopped down beside him, though his giant wings made for an awkward sitting arrangement. Unlike in the human world, there was no way for Yugi to conceal his wings or trap them within a disguise shell, which was why it was important that Yugi was kept in hiding.

Atemu leaned in as Yugi wrapped his arms around his lover's neck. "I lost control."

"I don't see any blood," Yugi pointed out. "I think you kept your control quite well."

Atemu buried himself in Yugi's chest, but _that_ wouldn't help ease his urges. Smelling Yugi… "Kaiba even talked to me about it today."

Yugi teased the ends of Atemu's hair. "Kaiba would. We just got a little excited that's all. We'll be alright."

No, that wasn't true.

Yugi squeezed his shoulders. "Atemu? Talk to me, ok?"

Atemu was lying in Yugi's arms now, surrounded by the white feathers. There were so many feathers here. If only one escaped into the outside world then Yugi's cover would be blown. "Did you mean what you said?"

"What? That I wasn't afraid?"

Atemu nodded.

Yugi's round face peered over at him, smiling. "Of course."

"I mean, regardless, if we didn't have duties to do," Atemu said. "If it was just us." But it was never just them was it? There was always a Ryou or a Kaiba or someone to save. And there always would be. "If we were alone and we both had clear heads, would you want to become Tainted, for me?"

Yugi smiled and kissed him on the nose. "If it's your blood I drink."

Atemu shuddered. An angel drinking blood… did he really want to turn Yugi into that?

"Don't you want mine?" Yugi asked, blinking with curiosity.

Atemu choked and laughed all at the same time. "_Oh_, I _want_ it." He wanted it so bad it hurt. "You've never drawn another's blood, have you?"

"No… angels don't that sort of thing to each other."

Then he wouldn't know, the attack of the first taste of the foreign liquid, the senses that boil. The oddness of having another life essence inside you. Like burying your face in their hair, only a thousand times better and more dangerous. To have another's essences colliding with ones own… Now Atemu was getting thirsty again.

"I think I should move now," Atemu said, pulling himself away from Yugi. "Just to be safe."

Yugi nodded. "You know I trust you."

Somehow, Atemu got his luggage from the hallway that he had dropped in his fury. He checked the protection spells again, just in case his fingers had slipped during their reapplying. When he was satisfied that everything was locked in tight, he returned to the kitchen area, where Yugi was making some kind of hot liquid reminiscent of human world tea. Not that Higher Beings needed food. But they enjoyed the nostalgia.

Atemu took the cup that Yugi offered him. "Thanks."

Yugi settled himself, wings curled over his head so Atemu would have room to sit at the table as well. "I miss it, Atemu…"

Atemu knew what his lover was talking about. "The Human world or tea?"

Yugi sighed, stirring the mixture with his finger. "Both. And it's not only because I haven't left his house in six human months."

Atemu's gut pained. What he wouldn't give to get Yugi out of here, to show him around Hell's cities. Not that there was much to see, but then Yugi would know where Atemu had lived these long… how many years?

According to Bakura it was over five thousand.

And he had almost forgot about that guy. If Ryou hadn't shown up…

"Atemu?" Yugi had noticed his fallen expression. "What are you thinking of?"

Atemu refocused. "Ryou appeared at our meeting."

Yugi offered a soft, "Oh." And then looked down at his fake-tea.

"Somehow he knew the exact place and time of the meeting," Atemu continued.

Yugi's shoulders scrunched. "Well…"

Atemu set down his mug. "How long have you been talking to him, Yugi?"

Yugi scratched an ear. "I don't know… a human month maybe…"

"Why did you keep it a secret?" Atemu asked, reaching across the table to touch his lover's hand.

"Ryou…" Yugi held Atemu's palm in his. "Asked me to."

The guilt was back. Atemu hadn't said anything to Ryou at their departure. He had tried to. But it was hard, with Ryou holding up a silver-sobbing Bakura. Ryou had said he'd be in touch… but he did have other things to deal with at that moment. As did Atemu…

"He misses you," Yugi said urgently. "He told me that he misses you a lot. But he's trying to help Bakura settle and he didn't know if you would want to see him."

"Who? Ryou or Bakura?" Atemu asked.

Yugi bit his lip. "Either."

"He didn't look like he wanted to see me at the meeting," Atemu said. "He left as soon as he gave Ishizu a letter. I didn't even get to talk to him."

"He was probably worried about getting back to Bakura." Yugi ran a nervous finger up and down the joint of Atemu's thumb. "He said Bakura doesn't do well without him for long periods of time."

A jealous beast like that, Atemu bet he didn't.

"Don't worry." Yugi's eyes shown. "Ryou's fine. He's happy that he can take care of someone else now. And Bakura has someone he can trust completely…" Yugi's smile was tight as he looked down at their clasped hands.

Yes, Ryou was proud that he didn't need to be taken care of. Maybe that's why he and Atemu didn't connect anymore, because Atemu was still always trying to help him while Ryou didn't need it. While Yugi only wanted to be important to someone else.

It wasn't because of his demonic drugged system this time that Atemu pulled Yugi into his arms this time. It was a fully conscious action. And he squeezed the angel. And he said like a chant to his lover, "I love you, Yugi Hashmallim. I, a lowly soldier demon, love you, love you."

Yugi wrapped his arms around Atemu's neck, scooting himself higher onto Atemu's lap. And their faces were so close that Atemu could see nothing but Yugi's eyes. "I love you so much, I'd defy the wrath of Kaiba's OCD planning to have your blood inside me."

Atemu grinned. "Now that _is_ love."

Yugi giggled. "Though, I suppose we have eternity."

Atemu laughed. "We can handle a few more human years, right?"

"Maybe," Yugi touched the tip of his nose to Atemu's. "We'll see, won't we?"

…)(-)-(Absolution)-(-)(…

There was no need to announce that he had arrived. Ryou knew, because he could sense the dark angel's presence, that Bakura had been following him since the gates of the gray world. These lands were sometimes called the Dregs, the Gray Lands. A space that wasn't Hell or Heaven or the human world. It was the outskirts of Purgatory. In truth it was hard for Higher Beings to exist there because the gray skies and gray ground and gray air were irritating and dangerously seducing; it made Higher Beings hypnotically lazier, as though the grey infected their very souls. But that made it all the more perfect place for Bakura to hide. After the events in the human world neither Bakura nor Ryou were going to be seduced by anything as trivial as laziness now.

But Bakura hated this world. It reminded him of his days in purgatory. Still… it was the only place for them.

Ryou tucked his white leather wings in behind him as he closed the door to their tiny hut, shutting the grey world out.

Instantaneously, Ryou heard cursing from the kitchen.

Bakura was calling his attention, as though he hadn't been tracking Ryou's every step.

So Ryou set down the little stuff he had brought with him on his journey and followed the angel's subliminal instructions.

Bakura was in their "kitchen". Bakura had collected/made a set of pots and pans, objects completely obsolete in a normal Higher Beings world. He had even constructed an "oven" out of a chuck of rock, molding it into a morphed cube-like shape and even carving out small holes where the "buttons" should be. Stone, and almost all other materials, snapped like toothpicks in Bakura's hands nowadays; rock was no harder to shape than cookie dough.

"What's for dinner?" Ryou asked, sitting down at the table.

He saw Bakura's shoulders twitch. And then the angel turned. Making the twin oozing stumps on his back visible.

Ryou held back a scream.

He never should have left.

The stumps from where Bakura's wings had once stood on his back were dripping some kinda substance, turning the gray floor pink with their chemicals. This was the third time he had torn his own wings off. They grew back, unlike other Higher Being's when they lost their wings. They grew back just enough so that when he entered another one of his fits they were ready to be ripped off again. Ryou hadn't thought that since he left… guilt washed through him.

"Hamburgers," Bakura grunted, taking a tray of various gray lumped rocks out of the "oven". "What does it look like I'm making, idiot?"

Ryou ran a hand over his hair. Bakura hadn't looked at him yet. Was he mad? The calm before the…

A plate with a lump of "hamburger" was dropped in front of him.

Bakura's black eyes were on him. "Eat it."

Ryou peered at the thing. "Can you cut it up for me?"

"No. Eat it."

"Ok." Ryou lifted the thing to his mouth but before he could take a bite the rockburger was snatched out of his hands.

"Fool." Bakura slammed the hamburger on the table and then cut it into smaller cubes with a sweep of his pinky. "You'll choke."

"Sorry." He must not have been too mad then, Ryou thought.

When the cubes of rockburger were properly arranged, Bakura stepped back again. "There. Better?" he snapped.

Ryou felt himself smile. Bakura tried so hard. "Thanks." And picked up a cube and put it on his lips…

And Bakura smacked the thing out of his hands. "What in _Hell_ do you think you're doing?"

But before Ryou could respond the table in front of him flew sideways and smashed into the line of fake pots and pans.

And Bakura stood there, haunted. Eyes mad. "You were going to eat that _rock,_ weren't you? You're a fool! Higher Beings don't eat!"

Ryou stared back at the angel. "Yes."

Bakura trembled, from his toes to this self-mutilated back. "You are impossible!" And with that Bakura flitted across the room and his mighty arms swung, ripping his stone "kitchen" into rumble. The pots squished like bread and crumbled to the floor. His treasured "oven" split under his foot. Even the walls fell apart like bad cheese in Bakura's claws. Ryou sat as still as possible. He knew in a few hours Bakura would just rebuild it again.

At last, there was nothing left to destroy, except maybe the roof, which quivered having lost half of its foundations. They had a nice gray view outside now…

"Fool…" Bakura grabbed the side of his head. "Yes, yes… it's all very sad but truly we don't need to eat. We are not human…" And then he slumped against the floor.

Ryou thought it was safe to approach now, so he pulled himself to the spot next to Bakura on the floor. "I think a refrigerator would be nice," the demon said. "You could keep your creations in there until we eat them."

Bakura lifted a suspicious brow at Ryou. "Don't patronize me. Why are you still here? Get out."

But he didn't mean it. Ryou couldn't leave. "I like it here,"

Bakura spat. "_Liar_."

"I am not."

Bakura picked up a hand-sized rock and bit into it. Ryou heard the crunch crunch of Bakura's teeth chewing on the material.

"Ishizu got your letter," Ryou said.

Bakura swallowed the rubble in his mouth and took another bite. "Yay." He pretended to be barely paying attention.

"I saw Kaiba and Atemu too."

"I bet Kaiba and that blond fellow are doing it, don't you?" Bakura observed.

"They looked like they were all doing fine."

"Sure they're all skipping through fields of poppies."

"They're building a secret route so that more angels and demons can escape the oppression of Hell and Heaven and live in the human world."

Bakura spat the already chewed rock out on the floor. "That's a fucking stupid idea."

"They seemed really excited about it. I think its going to be—"

Bakura chucked his half eaten rock across the room. It smashed into the wall and cracked its surface. "Do you really want to talk about _those_ guys?"

Ryou was pushed against the wall. And Bakura was leaning over him. This was not uncommon.

"What is it about them that you find so fascinating?"

They had had this conversation before. "They are our friends."

"_HA_!" Bakura barked. His hand was on Ryou's neck. Perhaps to choke him? "You love them?"

He had never asked Ryou that before. _This_ was new… "Yes."

A beat, then Bakura's expression twisted. And the wall behind Ryou's head crumbled under Bakura's fist. "Do you love them more than me?"

"No."

Bakura scoffed. "That's a lie."

"No, its not," Ryou said.

"You suck at lying!" Bakura cried. "_Fuck_ you!" And he squeezed Ryou neck hard, breaking the Higher Being skin. Ryou could not speak for his throat was entirely compressed. Bakura could easily rip off his head…

Ryou missed it. Bakura hadn't shown any physical inclinations, romantic or otherwise, for Ryou since… since Malik. But Bakura had gone through so much trauma since then. He was damaged. Of course he didn't want to be touched. They weren't human anymore. Higher Beings did not live off the collision of mortal fleshes. Then why did Ryou leap inside when Bakura brushed his shoulder as he ran by, or when Bakura leaned over him, like he was doing now, all close. Ryou ached. They weren't human anymore, so why did the attraction linger?

"You hate it here!" Bakura screamed.

Ryou was unable to respond because there was no air in his vocal cords.

Bakura's body rippled with the roar. And he threw himself off of Ryou, onto the floor. And he pounded tiny craters in the ground with his fists. He was entering another fit.

"Bakura…" but calling out to him would do no good. He was like a toddler again with new limbs, new powers. He needed to release his anger.

But Bakura was on in his feet and the madness was in his eyes again. "_Everytime_!" He arched his back and Ryou saw him reach for the stumps on his back, the ones that since Ryou had entered the house had sprouted little black feathers, so new they were still glistening.

And Bakura scratched at his own back. "Buggers."

"_Stop it_!" Ryou threw himself at Bakura's arms. He had nothing near to Bakura's strength, though he clung to the angel's arms, feathers continued to drop to the floor. "_Please_! Bakura, stop! Don't do _this_ to yourself!" But he might have been a fly for all the difference he was making.

"Shut it," Bakura said all too calmly as he pulled out another fist full.

Ryou ended up pressing himself up against Bakura's back, the ruined stumps stuck into his chest. "Please, _please_, Bakura…" Didn't he understand? If he kept pulling them out, one day, they wouldn't grow back…

But Ryou had now made himself an annoyance. And Bakura in his fury to get to his own back grabbed Ryou by the joint of his wing and yanked the guy off. He wasn't even bothered by Ryou's yelp of pain. And the dark angel dangled Ryou in front of him, still by that single wing. "Pest." And he chucked Ryou across the room too.

Ryou was flattened to the floor and a pain sprung from his back. His left wing was twisted around, shivering in revulsion. Pain sent Ryou's body into tension. For a few moments Ryou's mind spasmed. Besides a few squeezes, Bakura had never actually hurt him, he had broken his own arms before, for about three minutes before they healed themselves. Apparently Bakura was now the unstoppable force.

Pain made it hard for Ryou to see. He would just lay for a few seconds… but Bakura still needed him… so Ryou defied the screams of his body and pulled himself up on his hands.

And then he was being supported by another. Arms around him…

Ryou blinked and blinked as Bakura's face, downcast, finally came in view.

"Fool, you know I get like this."

Ryou was still trembling. "I shouldn't have left."

"I asked you to, remember?" Bakura said, as he cradled Ryou in his lap. And his hands spread warmth as he traced Ryou's twisted white wing. Ryou bit the inside of his cheek, holding back the pain, and those inclinations he had picked up in the human world. Bakura circled the joint with claw. "This is nothing, stop whining." And then it was nothing. Truly. The pain was gone.

Ryou was so surprised he sat up. "You… healed me."

Bakura crossed his legs, head turned aside. "Obviously."

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I," Bakura said as a few more feathers poked themselves out of the fresh wounds on Bakura's back.

Ryou couldn't help it. Maybe it was because they were both sitting on the floor, barely a foot away, and Bakura was being so different today… But Ryou leaned forward and touched his lips to Bakura's cheek, before jumping away again.

"Sorry…" Ryou didn't know how Bakura would react after all.

But as Ryou was pushed to the floor he could figure out how. Ryou watched as Bakura placed himself above him. And his eyes were black next to his white hair. And he pulled himself down onto Ryou, faces close together.

"Don't apologize," Bakura ordered.

Ryou nodded, nose brushing against Bakura's.

Lips to lips… _finally_, a kiss after— how long had it been?

Bakura shuddered, Ryou felt it through their touch. He was pulling away. "I can't promise how long this will last…" he admitted.

Ryou grabbed his head and pulled him down again. No. Not yet. It had been so long since they had done this. Ryou sucked the kiss out of Bakura's mouth. And though at first the angel was hesitant, Bakura soon took over and Ryou enjoyed the nostalgia of the human world, though Higher Beings had no sex drives, the touch was divinely stimulating. Ryou was warm, the friction of their Bleached and Tainted skins vibrated through his being. Bakura was fiery as usual, though Ryou knew how much control it took not to break through his skin. How easily Bakura could have Ryou torn into ribbons.

Bakura pulled his claws up Ryou's arm, the Higher Being's skin was pink but unbroken. His shoulder… up to his neck. Ryou did not ignore the urge. He broke his kiss with Bakura to gasp at the claws on his neck. And his brain was dripping with images of blood and blood…

Fuck.

"Want it?" Bakura hissed. Ryou didn't need him to clarify. The angel's eyes were on his own powerful claws, Ryou's exposed neck…

Ryou wanted it. And to prove this, Ryou leaned upward so that the claws pricked Ryou's skin. He could feel the droplets of blood forming.

Bakura jerked his hand away. But the tips of his claws still had a crimson drop on each point. Bakura looked at his own hand like it was going to explode.

Ryou pulled himself up. And closed his mouth over own of Bakura's blood dripping claws, licking it clean.

Bakura twitched, his eyes got wide again.

And then he flitted across the room, so fast that the house shook.

"Don't—" Bakura raked his claws in the ground, carving deep rivulets in the floor. He was cleaning off the blood. "Don't."

Ryou gulped. He was embarrassed, but eternally disappointed.

"It's—" Bakura said.

"Fine," Ryou reassured.

Bakura tore up more floor. "Clean yourself up. I want your blood too much."

Ryou understood. He too had, at one time because of the Master, been addicted to blood. "I shouldn't have pushed." And he wiped the blood from his neck. Bakura had so much power now. Power needed to be fed. That's why Bakura had been eating so many rocks. Not that they did much to quench his hunger.

"How's Malik?" Ryou asked.

Bakura's whole body froze. "Malik's dead."

Ryou brushed his hair back.

"Don't give me that look. I don't care if you don't believe me," Bakura snapped.

Ryou hesitated. But he had to know. "I read it, the letter you gave me to give to Ishizu. It was signed by Malik..."

"Yes, but _I_ wrote it," Bakura said.

"Ishizu believed it was from her brother. I think it gave her hope."

Bakura frowned. "That was the point."

Ryou was confused. "But… you keep on building human kitchens and tearing off your wings…"

"And _you_ keep forgetting that we no longer need to breathe," Bakura scolded. "Natural side effect from living with humans too long. You start thinking like one."

But Bakura hadn't just lived with them. He had absorbed one.

"What did you think?" Bakura asked flatly. "That Malik was somehow living on inside of me? That I could hear him in my head? That even though he was an inanimate power source that some part of him was still alive? Was that what you thought?"

"Yes," Ryou admitted.

"You're wrong."

"Am I?"

Bakura jumped, he was next to Ryou within a second. "What? What do you think?"

"He wasn't just a power source," Ryou argued.

"He was a sentimental freak," Bakura growled.

"He had memories, feelings that would have remained even after his shell disappeared. Pure energy is easy to imprint."

Bakura's mouth tightened.

"You have all of Malik's memories, don't you?" Ryou guessed, and from the look on Bakura's face, that he was right. "You know everything he ever thought. Your thoughts and Malik's are conflicting. That's why you wrote that letter to Ishizu, using Malik's memories. Because you were trying to let Malik free."

"Now you're getting sentimental," Bakura spat.

Ryou thought he was right. Bakura's dodging the question only confirmed his guess. "I'm sorry." Bakura was having a hard time, after Turning with Ryou's blood, Bakura had absorbed the Master's chemicals, dangerous chemicals that now conflicted with Malik's human morals. Bakura's brain was a battle ground. The Berserker Throne of the Early Wars was being beaten back by Malik's humanity.

Had that been what Malik had meant when he said he was going to help Bakura?

"I know what you're thinking too," Bakura said. "You're worried I can't love you anymore because I absorbed Malik's love for me."

Ryou said nothing. He had thought of that possibility before.

"Well, shut it," Bakura snapped. And he grabbed Ryou's shoulders. "Malik didn't love me. He wanted to be complete. It was his nature as an unstable power source. He couldn't love."

Ryou flinched. "_Don't_ say that."

But Bakura was serious. "No. _This_ is the truth. Don't you think _I_ would know?"

Ryou gulped.

"Malik's jealousy is not stopping me from touching you," Bakura explained. "Malik's…" Bakura pulled away.

But Ryou grabbed his hand. "Tell me."

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Where he is now… let's just say Malik couldn't be happier."

Ryou felt his whole head sting. Yes, Malik had spent his life as an incomplete person. Loose energy looking for a proper host, someone to draw him out of his human shell. Bakura was the only one strong enough to do it. If Bakura hadn't come along Malik would have been searching forever. That's when Ryou start to cry.

"Oh stop it," Bakura growled. But he sat close to Ryou anyway. And his hands clasped Ryou's head, bringing them closer. "You hear me?"

Ryou heard. But he could not stop the tears. Now that he realized what Malik really was. He hadn't understood before. Now, he was happy for his friend.

"I couldn't have done it, you know."

Ryou blinked the milky tears from his eyes. "What?"

Bakura was still holding his head but it was in a gentle way now. "Before Malik sacrificed himself, I was never going to kill you. I couldn't have."

Ryou choked. A smile crept onto his lips. And he broke Bakura's grip on his head and leaned in, pressing another kiss onto Bakura's mouth. He didn't care if it made Bakura's bloodlust rocket out of control. So be it.

Bakura restrained himself. "I _need_ you to be alive."

Ryou nodded, pulling himself into Bakura's arms whether he would handle it or not. But the angel's arms supported him, though somewhat rigidly. "I won't leave ever again."

"You'll have to, once in a while," Bakura said.

"No," Ryou promised. And he tucked his head into Bakura's shoulder. "Do you still want to kill the Seraphim and Cherubim?"

"_Yes_… You still want to kill the Master?"

Ryou nodded. "But that will never happen, will it?"

Bakura snorted. "Have you _seen_ how much power I have?"

"True." Ryou pulled Bakura's arm across his body like a blanket. "If you get yourself killed, I won't forgive you."

"Yeah, yeah." And Bakura let Ryou pulled their bodies together.

Ryou didn't mind the awkwardness. He knew, Bakura was trying to hold off the madness in his mind long enough so the two of them could have their moment. And it was enough. They were enough.

**

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**

THE END

* * *

Hope you all liked it!!

IN CONCLUSION:

Yugi/Atemu: (ARES CUTE!!)

Jounouchi: Let's have baby!

Kaiba: In what? A box? Are we going to grow sea monkeys?

Mokuba: where do babies come from?

Malik: (_RAINBOWS_)

Ryou: I'm still quirky and awkward! YAY!

Bakrua: I'm insane! (eats rocks) OMNOMNOMNOMNOM!

I got one more story planned after this one. Unfortunately, it doesn't actually have a title yet but I hope you like the sound of it anyway. Here's the summery I have planned:

"_We're here to make sure you don't screw up your destiny, thief.""And what is my destiny?" the Thief King snarled. Bakura smirked."To collect all of the Sennen Items.""All of the Egyptian Sennen Items. Not ours,"Malik added. YAOI BxRxTxMxYM MahaadoxPxYxYY KxJxS_

Interesting, right?

NOW YOU BETTER FREAKING **REVIEW** OR I'LL HAVE YOU… you… tap-dance with spiders…? YES! NOW, **REVIEW**!


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